Unconventional
by PerennialFall
Summary: Hyrule is burning and the fallout has finally reached the door of the otherwise impervious Hyrule Castle Town. New faces bring excitement to Telma's Bar, where new friendships are formed and old ones are tested in the thick of the Twilight crisis. Ashei, Shad, Link, Ilia love triangle. [Slow Burn] [Completed] F/M, M/M, F/F.
1. Brave New Girl

**AN:** Welcome to the fic! Our plot loosely follows the events of the game and manga, and opens with a lot of "slice of life" moments before things get heavier. My goal here is for all of the ships to be valid in their own way! ;) So, no shipping wars or discrimination without constructive input in the comments, please!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Unconventional**

**Chapter 1 – Brave New Girl**

"Excuse me!" shouted the landlord, banging on the yellow door of her cozy rental property. The house in question was situated in the middle of a terrace, meaning that the neighbours were definitely privy to the fact that this was her fifth visit this month.

"Shad! SHAD! I know you're in there!"

From the backyard, one of the scholar's boots coupled by his checkered socks could be seen hanging from the top of a narrow laundry window.

He began to squeeze through the gap, hovering precariously above the ground before dropping down. Shad took a moment to fix his disheveled auburn hair and round glasses, looking rather messy. He then turned around, pulled a heavy bag of books through the window and closed it gently. The landlord hammered on the door once more.

"Three month's rent! THREE MONTHS! Sending me a copy of your latest book and a blurry pictograph of a Cuccoo isn't going to pay the bills! I need some kind of deposit! SHAD!"

"My lady, you shall have your rent _with interest_ once I finish my next installment!" Shad called from behind the house before vaulting clumsily over the fence. Luckily for the scholar, he could lose himself in one of Hyrule Castle Town's main streets at a moment's notice. And there were a variety of ways of making it to Telma's Bar undetected.

The landlord growled, shoving a notice under the door.

* * *

"I'm sorry, where did you find her?" Telma asked a guard.

"In the moat, just outside of the city."

A city guardsman adorned with the crest of the Royal Family was supporting a slim, pale girl by her arm, who stood shoeless on the doorstep of a grey-bricked bar. The building was tucked away near a worn staircase off of the main street and it emanated a warm glow from its windows. A small decorative sign hung beneath a protruding lantern, signifying that this was indeed Telma's Bar.

"I am sorry to ask such a thing but with the guards being… stretched thin at the moment," the guard said, lowering his voice.

"You mean with all of the drama that's going on with the castle? Exactly how long has it been now and still no news for us regular folk?" Telma questioned, raising an eyebrow. She made a fairly intimidating figure in the doorway, her red dreadlocks pulled back and her face adorned with coloured jewels.

The guard made a noise as if to shush the proprietor. "We have not released an official statement to the public, and yet here I am, sworn to my duty. I have seen the types of people who frequent your bar. I know that if anybody in the neighbourhood has the resources to help this girl faster than us, it's you."

"There is no question regarding this one's safety," Telma answered. "We'll get her warmed up and fed properly in no time, won't we, honey?" She leant closer to get a better look of the girl, past her morose exterior.

In response the girl looked up vacantly, unsure of whether she ought to be relieved. She had short, ash-blonde hair, which seemed uncharacteristically unkempt for such a clean cut. And her eyes were a striking colour of green, giving her a spritely appearance.

The bar proprietor gave a brief, withering look to the guard, who could only concede the feebleness of his authority in such times.

"Yes, well… better in our hands than yours. I'll see to it that she finds the support she needs. The poor dear could use a doctor," she sighed, upon evaluating the situation at hand. The pale girl sneezed quietly. "And I'll be in contact with one immediately. So, off you go. Back to running the city without word from your superiors."

The guardsman knew better than to stay and argue with the fiery woman. He regarded his charge with a final nod. "You're in good hands, here," he promised, before departing to the nearest street.

The girl opened her mouth to respond as Telma hurried her inside, hand on shoulder.

"W-Wait!"

"The city's a mess, honey, but you're my top priority at the moment. Come sit by the fireplace and I'll find you some new clothes and something to eat."

"What's going on?!" the girl cried hoarsely. "Where am I?"

"You're in Hyrule Castle Town," the woman explained gently. "And you're safe with me. My name is Telma. I'm the owner of this bar."

* * *

Ashei always found herself scowling on her way into town. Just past the gates, the road grew chaotic with merchant carts, salesmen, farmers, priests, musicians and stable-hands. In her opinion, it was like trading all the opportunity and solitude of the wilderness for a pounding headache in a confined space.

Arriving at night was admittedly less busy on the road, however events at her place of lodging tended to be in full swing in the later hours, making it difficult to sleep.

"Whoa, there!" she called, easing her slate-coloured mare into a pace that matched the surrounding traffic.

"A fortune for you, miss! You will surely want to know what the goddesses have in store for you!" spruiked a strange man in a flashy robe.

Ashei glared at him incredulously. Even the wolves she encountered on her travels had the courtesy not to obstruct the road. "You'd better move, unless you want that pretty dress covered in mud," she warned, forcing the charlatan out of her way.

The first time Ashei saw the impressive walls of the city, she wondered what it must be like to live in such a place where even the mountains had been cut down and artfully repurposed.

Her father had initially grown up in the town, served as an elite guard and moved to the wilds after choosing to settle down and have a family. The irony of returning to the city was not lost on her, albeit for a different purpose, though it was thanks to the old man's contacts that she had managed to carve out a reputation as a reliable warrior, hunter and agent. While she was never drawn to mercenary work, Ashei was initially hired as a bodyguard and a tracker with uncanny intuition and sharpness.

However, between the great surges in monster activity and a series of troubling reports regarding the state of Hyrule Castle, Ashei's hands were full. After each meeting with her colleagues at Telma's Bar, the state of the world seemed to be hurling itself further toward something dark and uncharted.

Ashei gripped the reigns of her horse and clenched her jaw.

Hers was not a report that she was looking forward to sharing.

* * *

Shad opened the door to the bar and confidently announced his arrival, feeling more at home than anywhere in recent memory. The heat from the morning sun lingered on his shoulders as he placed his coat by the door.

"Telma, I am rather early today. I hope you will forgive the intrusion," he said, looking over at his old friend. Telma, who was almost always behind the bar, stood next to the fireplace with a quiet girl sitting in her most comfortable chair.

"Welcome Shad, I'll be with you in a bit, honey."

"Oh, who is she? A special visitor?" Shad ventured inquisitively, leaving his bag by his usual spot at the bar and wandering over to the two. Upon closer inspection he noticed that the girl was indeed wearing Ashei's spare nightclothes, which were usually stored in a wardrobe upstairs.

Each member of the Resistance had a space to keep their own personal supplies at the bar, however out of the three other men, Ashei left the least amount of items in Telma's care. Shad wondered what the steely warrior would make of this stranger wearing her clothes when she arrived.

"You could say that," Telma replied, with an unusually tentative smile.

The girl looked up at Shad, searching for some familiarity.

"Good morning, miss!" he beamed at her, offering a hand. "My name is Shad. And you are?"

"I… I…" The girl suddenly averted her gaze, concentrating on the ground.

"It's all right, honey," Telma intervened, lightly squeezing the girl's shoulder before regarding Shad. "I took this girl in from the city guard this morning. She hasn't said much and they found her freezing cold from the moat. I'm actually on my way out to fetch that doctor who lives around the corner, if you wouldn't mind looking after the bar."

"M-My name is… L… Li…" the girl stammered.

Shad felt a heat rise to his cheeks. "Oh, forgive my rudeness. It is quite alright. You should be focused on your recovery. Not to worry, Telma will find you the help that you need," he assured.

"Li… I can't… L…" She stared vacantly into the fire.

Meanwhile, Telma had left the two, wandering over to the bar to fetch her belongings.

"L… I… I don't… _I don't remember my name!_ " the girl cried suddenly, a frightened look in her eyes.

Shad found himself fumbling, trying to diffuse the tension he had suddenly released into the room. "I-I apologise," he stammered. "Y-You seem to be looking well, though! That is to say, you look well for a girl who has been through, w-well, I do not know what and I could not venture a guess, however – you appear to be… well…"

"Your name will come to you when you're feeling better. I'm sure of it. I'll be back soon," Telma smiled, on her way out of the bar. "Just relax and let this nice young man handle things until then. Shad, honey, there's some soup on the stove which should be ready for her by now."

"O-Oh, yes, certainly, Telma!" he called after her.

With the bar door closed, Shad turned his attention once more to the mysterious girl. Rather than making things worse, his new strategy was to simply refrain from prying and to look after her as best he could. "I… suppose you must be starving."

"… Yes. Shad, is it?"

Shad offered a small nervous smile and nod, dashing into the kitchen to fetch a bowl of soup. He returned, placing it gently on a small table and pulling it next to the girl. It suddenly occurred to him that a variety of soldiers from the previous war frequented this bar in the evenings. Perhaps this bar provided the daily distraction that they craved, he thought as he noticed a deck of cards spilled carelessly across a nearby table.

The scholar then wandered over to the bar and fetched one of his books from his satchel. He planned to read it quietly in the adjacent chair, should the need for anything arise.

"Shad… thank you. I am sorry if I've caused any trouble to Telma, or to you…" the girl continued, eating her soup quietly with a duck spoon.

"Absolutely not, if there is anybody in this town who would go out of their way for you, it would be her," Shad promised. "That guard was rather perceptive to bring you here."

The girl's face suddenly fell still. Shad leaned forward in response, maintaining a respectable distance while studying her reaction.

"This soup…" she frowned. "What… what is in this soup?"

Shad blinked. "Is it not good? I apologise if that is the case. I will find you something else if you prefer, we have bread-"

"No," the girl continued. "It just tastes… like I've had it before. Like, I used to come here all of the time. But that can't be true, can it? I've never seen you before and none of you know who I am…"

"Well, it is true that this is my first time to make your acquaintance," he concurred. "I certainly would not have forgotten such a cute young lady." Shad immediately bit down on his tongue, fearing the wrath of the bar proprietress. What was wrong with him? He knew that this was hardly the time or place, yet he found the words pouring out of him.

To his relief, the girl simply stifled a laugh, amused.

"You're so weird."

"You would not be the first to declare so. And to elaborate on your point, at the moment the house specialty is a pumpkin soup," Shad offered in an embarrassing attempt to move on. "They are sourced from the Ordona region, in the south."

For a moment the girl had an animated look on her face, as though she had something to go on. But it dissipated into a frown.

"… Ordona, huh. It's nice, anyway. Thank you, Shad."

* * *

"It's no use!" declared the doctor, adjusting his glasses. He projected a frail shadow against the tavern lighting. "I've never encountered memory loss of this scale. Something truly terrible must have happened to her to make her forget even her own name. Apart from the cold and a lack of food, everything else appears to be in working order."

The doctor then began to pack up a suitcase containing several examination instruments and a torch that he'd repeatedly shone in his patient's eyes.

Telma regarded him sceptically with her hands on her hips. "So, what's the treatment plan? Is there anything that can be done?"

The doctor grumbled in response, still hunched over his work equipment. "Mental ailments are not my specialty. You asked me to examine her and I did what I could within the scope of my knowledge. You'll have to get a second opinion."

The girl sank in the chair with her eyes wide and her fingers parted over her face.

"Don't stress yourself, honey," Telma assured. "There will be others with the power to help you. In the meantime, I'll be here for anything that you need."

"Wait! Doctor!" Shad intervened as the doctor shambled towards the door. The older man turned up his nose at the scholar as he pushed past.

"I suppose you'll be paying off the rest of your tab the next time I see you in here!" Telma glowered as the door slammed shut.

An uneasy silence fell over the room as the girl sobbed.

"Where should I go?" she breathed. "Where do I live? My family, my friends… I've lost everything. I don't know… what should I do?"

Telma glanced over to the door once more, cognizant of the fact that the bar was about to receive its first slew of day customers. In fact, it was rather miraculous that only Shad had shown up so far. "I have a proposal for you. How would you feel about staying here for now and working with me?" The proprietress winked. Shad could hardly contain the excitement in his eyes.

"Telma, that is a splendid idea!"

"I was just thinking that I could use some help and this stops me from having to hire somebody new. You'd be able to live upstairs, meals included of course. And it'll give us time to search for somebody who can help you get your memory back," she continued, warming up to the idea.

"B-But I don't know how to do anything. I don't want to get in the way. Please, I've imposed on you both so much," the girl replied, exasperated.

"The work is easy, and the fact that you're new to everything means that you'll be a great learner!"

It was difficult to resist Telma's positivity. The girl seemed to be in better spirits but shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Working in a bar means… being around plenty of people. If I don't know who I am, how can I be sure that my identity isn't going to cause any problems for you?"

The older woman laughed heartily before squeezing her hand. "If someone comes in who knows about your past… _I'll_ protect you if they try to hurt you."

Shad made an involuntary noise that was almost like an erratic laugh. He was definitely mindful of the crowbar Telma stashed under the bar, and of the time Telma had used it to single-handedly break up a bar fight between a group of unscrupulous 'adventurers.'

"You would take on all of this risk for me?" the girl asked quietly. "… I don't want to be rude but why would you do such a thing?"

Telma was quiet for just a moment before glancing over to a pictograph of a young man, which sat discreetly on the shelf above the fireplace. Shad raised an eyebrow at her expression. "Because…" she sighed. "Terrible things have been happening here. There has certainly been an increase in these events lately, but the truth is they have always been here. The war is still so fresh in the minds of the people living here and even those who were young at the time still carry the scars. For some, it was a reminder that tragedy can shape our lives in not a moment's notice."

Shad and the mysterious girl listened attentively, though for the scholar it was one of the rare few times he had seen his friend so vulnerable.

"My departure from the past was borne of a desire to save our future. I might work in a bar but over the years, I've built a strong community here. What good is any of that if we can't help somebody who needs it?"

The girl looked up at Telma with an intense gaze.

"The silver lining to your predicament is that here, you have the opportunity to start again. You can be whoever you want to be, without judgement," Shad added kindly.

"It looks like… this would be the perfect place for me right now," said the girl with distinct relief washing over her face. Her green eyes had lost their sullen shadow. "If there's any way that… I can be of use and repay you both, then I'd be happy to do it."

"This is your home, if you'll have it," Telma promised.

"Thank you! I'll do my best to stay out of trouble."

"You're a good girl. I can tell, I have an eye for people!"

"After prying the demons out of these men all day with the right ale," came a cool voice from the other side of the room.

"Ashei!" Shad greeted.

"Who is this girl and why is she wearing my pajamas?" The obsidian-haired warrior tossed a leather bag into the corner, which made a sharp _clang_ as it hit the floor. Telma bent down to meet the girl's eyes. "Starting now, she'll have a new family, new friends… and a new name. What should we call you, honey? Something with 'Li,' which seemed important enough to remember?"

Ashei glanced quizzically between the scholar and the bar owner, clearly behind on whatever was happening at this moment with the stranger in her clothes.

"How about Liza?" Telma extended with a wink.

"Yes… Yes! Please, call me Liza. I'll be the new barmaid at your tavern."


	2. Exception Proves the Fool

**Chapter 2 – Exception Proves the Fool**

As the twilight hours took hold and the sun began to fade, the unassuming streetscape which enveloped Telma's Bar came to life. Its patrons could be politely described as 'diverse,' enveloping people of various ages and eccentricities that were not limited to their clothes. It was in this setting that Liza observed what it might mean to become a normal Hylian. Even if she lacked the trademark pointed ears of the Castle Town citizens.

She noticed that the only other person to share this trait with her was Ashei, who seemed very much unhappy to be there in the thick of 'happy hour.'

"You might've guessed by looking around that happy hour is our busiest time of the day, everybody tends to finish work just before sundown," Telma explained, pouring various liquids into glasses of differing size and shape. "This is how much wine we serve per standard drink, and here is where we keep the good stuff, you'll see the names of them up on the board…"

Liza nodded attentively, drinking in the chaos around her.

The main concourse of the bar was packed with groups of people and their own scatter of refreshments. Now and then, the regular hum of conversation would be broken up by cheering whenever a certain person walked in, or by the sound of a bard's flute when the door opened.

"Our job is to just keep things running on the floor. Sometimes we need to be quick with the cleaning equipment but things stay in place more often than not," Telma winked. "That being said, honey, if anyone gets in the way of you doing your job or they make you uncomfortable, I'll show them the way out."

Ashei noticed the scholar watching the boss and her new student with curiosity. The two colleagues were situated some distance away from the main floor, with a half-drawn curtain muffling some of the noise. "So, how's your latest dissertation coming? Did you sell any more copies of that first book?" she enquired.

Shad shifted nervously, switching his attention back to the table. "With all of the commotion of this morning, I hadn't the chance to continue. I was lucky enough to acquire some more research materials from the state library but even those appeared to be sparse on evidence."

"Sounds rough. Still, there's gotta be a trail somewhere, even in paper form."

"Well, I attempted to contact the family of one such late explorer who sketched this-" Shad began, pulling a notebook out of his coat and opening it up to a page with a single-folded picture. Ashei raised a single eyebrow at the contents of the drawing. "However, they refused to co-operate with my inquiry! Claimed that these sky beings were the downfall of their zealous uncle. He was one of the few people to have made contact with them, let alone recorded it!"

"Uh, yeah." She frowned.

"And I relinquished that pictograph to my landlady as collateral for my… er… rather late, promissory obligation to pay my rent," the scholar laughed nervously, running a hand along his neck. "Now that I say that out loud, I know how dire things must look from my perspective… but I refuse to let it get in the way of my search. If I could just crack the code on these ancient runes, then I could decipher the Sky Writing, find the missing link and my academic career would-"

"You _what?"_ Ashei exclaimed. "No, Shad, that's ridiculous. You need to fix this before it gets out of hand. And then you need to get out there and _find_ one of these things!" The warrior had swiftly jumped to her feet as she spoke.

"And how, pray tell, would I do that without the proper evidence?" the scholar argued, rising to meet her eye-level. "I am more passionate for this cause than you realise! What I wouldn't give to meet one of these ancient beings. They could hold the key to unraveling the darkness taking hold of Hyrule as we speak. But I cannot allow contingencies such as the public's interest decide whether I get there or not!"

"We don't have time to waste on your _flakiness!"_

"And I do not have the infinite resources necessary to wait for the rest of Hyrule to _catch up!_ " Shad dissented.

" _If you had ANY idea what was out there at the moment!_ " Ashei shouted, not caring for the crowd around them. " _Zora's Domain is-_ "

The curtain next to their table was suddenly pulled back to reveal a very unimpressed bar proprietress. "It's been a lonnng day, for both you," Telma interjected, arms folded in disapproval. "Maybe you'd better call it quits and save it for the meeting tomorrow when Auru and Rusl arrive. Any further business you have can wait til then."

Liza peered curiously over to the three from behind the bar, multi-tasking a serve of cider to a customer.

"Fine with me," Ashei scowled before heading to the stairs.

"Certainly," Shad said curtly, before also dismissing himself from the table.

The grim warrior opened a door into one of the spare rooms delegated for Resistance members above the tavern. The stone floor was only semi-effective at muffling the sound of the evening rush, however Ashei's comfort levels had risen without question. She soaked a small towel into a nearby sink and pressed it against her tired, amber eyes. "I can't wait for tomorrow to be over."

She then opened a nearby drawer to the grim realisation that she would be spending another night in her armour, thanks to Telma's new employee.

"Damn it."

* * *

'I cannot believe the nerve of her!' Shad contemplated angrily. Telma was certainly right about one thing. It had indeed been a long and rather, unproductive, day. 'She cannot expect the same punctuality from my research in comparison to her fieldwork. It has taken years to collect this many pieces of the past-'

"Are you heading home now?" Liza enquired warmly, carrying a small tower of empty pints.

"Oh, L-Liza!" he replied, startled. "Yes, I am afraid that I must take my leave. I have caused enough trouble in here for one day. How are you finding it all?"

"It's… different. Not that I have much to go off but I think I'm enjoying it? Everybody has been so nice to me, and the customers are so… funny," she surmised.

The scholar smiled. "Well, I am glad to hear it."

"Is it a far walk for you?"

"Not at all, I live just down the road… er, at the moment," he clarified.

Liza gasped and looked down at her feet to find a voluminous white cluster of fur rubbing against her ankles. "Ah! Wh-What is it doing?" she stammered. "Ahh! Aghhhh!" In her surprise, she stumbled backwards onto her heels, nearly smashing the glasses onto the floor.

"Whoa!" Shad exclaimed, swooping in behind the barmaid to catch her and steady her balance. The mischievous ball of hair perched itself onto a nearby chair and licked its paws, meowing at Liza just once. "I'm sorry, honey," Telma called out from across the room. "That's just Louise saying hello. She won't harm you, I promise."

Liza blinked at the strange creature as it regarded her with its intelligent blue eyes. She was too distracted to notice the scholar shuffling backwards, dying to maintain a respectable amount of personal space between them.

"See you tomorrow, Shad! Oh, and hands off," Telma teased in a mock-threatening tone. "Remember, Liza's my employee now."

Shad relinquished the pint glasses to the nearest table and hurried out of the door, embarrassed.

"Oh Telma, he meant well! That won't be the first thing I nearly break tonight."

* * *

The other half of Hyrule Castle Town rose with the sun to capture the most profitable hours of their day. The buildings seemed to become smaller just south of the main square, with vined balconies overlooking intricate murals and wall carvings, not dissimilar to those at the city fountain. The lush scenery signified that this was the primary shopping district for perishable and artisanal goods, which included bakeries, florists, butchers and exotic wares.

At the moment there was a Goron street-vendor supplying spring-water from Death Mountain. And although the town had its own group of dedicated fishermen, it had been some time since anybody had seen the usual traders from the Zora tribe, much to the dismay of the local cat population.

The rest of the storekeepers had long ago set up their stock for the morning rush and hadn't a set of hands to spare while tending to their customers.

It was here that Ashei stood in a short line outside of a small café, which carried a sweet scent of fresh croissants in the air. If there were one thing she could concede about the city, it was that they had far superior options for food.

In the crowd of shoppers, she'd thought she caught a glimpse of a familiar face. "… Auru," she said, intersecting an older gentleman. He had a pointed beard and wore heavy leather boots.

"Ashei. Punctual as ever, no?" he acknowledged warmly.

The warrior stepped out of the line to continue the conversation. "Good to see there's three of us now. Is Rusl due to arrive today?"

"He sent a hawk my way upon the desert gates," Auru informed. "Unfortunately he has been delayed upon encountering some trouble in Ordon village, however he should arrive either tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Ordon? The monsters are breaching defenseless farming towns, now?" Ashei replied, knowing she shouldn't have been surprised.

"I wouldn't use the word 'defenseless' around Rusl, to be sure." Auru added wryly. "But yes. I can't say that my journey was without trouble, either. How did you fare? I am almost dreading the contents of our meeting, to be honest."

Ashei audibly groaned in response. "Honestly, I don't even know where to begin with this mess. I'll be interested to hear your take… but let's leave it out of public's ears for now, yeah?"

"That bad? Well in that case, how is Shad faring with his research, if you've had the chance to visit him at Telma's?"

The warrior's face hardened into a deadpanned expression.

"Let's save that for the meeting, too. I want a headache-free morning."

* * *

Wednesday was the most quiet morning for the bar, granting Liza some extra hours of quiet in her new room. She opened her eyes to the sight of a tray carrying toasted bread and a glass of juice upon the windowsill.

The shaky girl had then carefully pulled herself out of bed and stretched, feeling strangely rejuvenated. When _was_ the last time she'd had a good night's rest? She had no way of knowing. And it made her head spin to know that this was to be her new life, her new reality, despite the bruises on her limbs and the absence of a single personal effect in her new home. It all felt like a strange dream.

Liza opened the window and peered out at the bustling town in wonder, enjoying her breakfast.

Was _this_ the sort of place she used to live in? Had she been somebody important? And if she were to have an ordinary day as a citizen in this town… where would she have wanted to go?

Everything was all so blurry. Perhaps none of that mattered, if for the time being she could indeed be somebody else.

"Good morning, Telma!" she called, walking down the stairs to find the fiery redhead preparing a hot beverage.

"Good morning, honey, nice to see you're doing better," Telma replied kindly. "I was thinking, if you're going to be living here I should show you around the town. You'll be able to enjoy your days off if you know where to go. And today's the perfect weather! So, what do you say to some shopping? I'll close the bar."

Liza looked down at her clothes and giggled, conscious of the fact that not everybody walked around in a beige tunic or the torn, muddied dress she'd arrived in, which hung on a clothesline outside. "Sure… I'd like to get to know this place better."

The two women arrived at the bar sometime later that afternoon, carrying multiple bags filled with shoes, clothing and bathing essentials. Liza found herself inextricably drawn the colour green, though she could not explain why.

"I almost don't want to reopen the bar," Telma said jokingly, turning the sign as they entered through the door. "How did you find everything today? Was there anywhere in particular that you liked?"

"It's all so much, but that place with the flowers was so beautiful." Liza said excitedly. "I feel like… you're so lucky to live here. It makes me wonder what it was like where I came from…?"

Telma studied her with a raised eyebrow. "Anything seem to jog your memory today? I noticed you seem to like the outdoors. And the horses."

Liza shook her head, smiling sadly. "I… I don't know. But… at the same time, I feel like maybe it's not important right at this moment. I'm enjoying my time here. Being… Liza, I mean."

"That's important too, honey. You should allow yourself to be happy, if that's how you feel."

"I also wonder if… maybe I shouldn't be in such a hurry to remember…" she confessed. "I don't want it to end. I know that I haven't been here very long but it feels like the first good night's rest I've had in an eternity. And I'm beginning to heal." Liza held up her arms, which were admittedly less scuffed and dirtied from her previous adventure.

"And that's okay," reassured the proprietress. "It's only been a day but I can see a world of difference in you. You're a strong girl and you'll be able to handle it when the time comes."

Liza noticed how odd it felt to smile, like the muscles in her face were once frozen in ice, but she didn't let that stop her. "You have a lot of confidence in me, Telma. I sure wouldn't after the mess of a job I did last night."

"You did well to handle that chaos, honey. A week in my care and you'll put the all other bar staffers to shame, especially with your crowbar training," the older woman smirked.

It was then that a sudden crash at the door caught the attention of both women. Rather than allowing herself to be frightened, Liza rushed to the entrance and found a small child who eerily resembled a water nymph collapsed onto the ground.

"A Zora!" Telma exclaimed over her shoulder. "All the way out here? What in the name of the goddesses is happening out there?"

Upon closer inspection Liza saw that the child was of smaller stature, his skin mostly silver with fine, iridescent purple scales. He wore silver and gold bands of jewelry adorned with sapphires. Delicate fins protruded from his shoulders and around his face, which was contorted in pain.

Liza felt her heart beating in her ears, her vision blurry. He was just like her… but in a _much_ worse condition.

"Quickly, let's get him inside."

* * *

Shad managed to have a relatively stress-free day, walking the balmy city streets with some fresh notes tucked securely under his arm. The best medicine for being stuck in his investigation was, of course, to go outside with the minimal materials and to review what he already knew. Fragments of evidence seemed to erupt wherever there was some strife in the world. Surely this couldn't be a coincidence.

Was it a deliberate attempt on the part of the Oocca to make contact with modern Hyrule? Was their perception of the Hylian world impacted by all of the recent chaos? And could they indeed be somewhere out there now? Last night's argument was still in the back of his mind, plaguing his current understanding of the case with doubt. Maybe it _wouldn't_ be such a bad idea to search for his own clues, he wondered. It wouldn't matter once the bond from his house was inevitably forfeit.

 _If only there were someone out there who shared my interest in my research… Could we solve this mystery together?_

With that in mind, he planned on avoiding the bar until this evening when the Resistance meeting was due to take place.

"Watch it!"

With his head in the clouds, Shad bumped into a stranger and gasped, dropping his notes to the ground. The scholar looked up to find a shorter, non-assuming Hylian male standing over him. "E-Excuse me, good sir…" he withdrew, bending over to collect his effects.

"What are _you_ doing at Princess Agitha's Castle?" the younger man questioned in an uppity voice. "Have you got some business with her, dressed up like that?"

"Agitha's… Castle? You mean that eccentric girl who collects the insects?" Shad inquired, straightening his posture. It was certainly hypocritical for him to identify anybody else in the town as offbeat.

"How dare you!" the man squeaked. "Eccentric? I would never debase her as such! And you should address her as _Princess_ Agitha, unless you're friends with her or something?"

"I really have no business here," Shad clarified. "I only wish to collect my notes and I shall be on my way-"

The man stepped very dramatically onto the scholar's paperwork, pinning it down to the pavement. "You think I don't know why you've come? Who could blame you? My princess is a rare beauty, and you waltz into her abode at sundown with poetry!" he accused.

"No! Please, there has been some misunderstanding!" Shad protested. To his relief the surrounding walkway appeared to be relatively quiet, diminishing some of his embarrassment from the scene caused.

"If you want it back you'll have to answer three questions – just three – about my darling Princess Agitha!" The man continued, with a self-congratulatory grin. "Then we'll see whether your verses are worthy of her love! Question one… what… is her favourite colour?"

"Is it purple?" asked a familiar voice, behind the quarrelling pair.

Ashei was poised in the street with her arms folded, accompanied by Auru who had obviously decided to let her handle things from here.

"You can't answer his questions for him!" the man argued. "But… yes, I suppose you're right. How did you know that?"

"I didn't. I just guessed from the shade I'd be turning you if you don't get off this man's paperwork – immediately," she said bluntly.

The antagonist made a strange sound, as though he were offended by the suggestion, before following the instructions. He'd assessed the young, armoured woman as capable of doing serious harm. In response, the scholar snatched his notes back from the pavement with an unusual glint of defiance in his eyes.

"Thank you!" he snapped. "Perhaps now you can return to your inane rambling, while I do my best to forget this conversation."

Without a thought to the quarrel from last night, Shad soon found himself joining the dark-haired warrior and their older counter-part, who held himself in the shadows.

"Just a minute." Ashei affirmed. "I'm gonna make sure this creep never bothers anyone ever again." Before the man in question could run away, she grabbed him in one swift motion and – with a yelp and an undignified _ripping_ sound – hung him from a nearby torch holder by his smallclothes. Shad gave a final disparaging look to the stalker and adjusted his glasses.

"That tunic does you no favours," he scoffed. "I am certain that Agitha's other followers are of a more refined persuasion."


	3. Three of Pentacles

**Chapter 3 – Three of Pentacles**

Despite the fact that evening had well and truly set in, Hyrule Castle Town felt remarkably bright and loud. Perhaps it was a combination of the city's torches and meandering noise level as most of its citizens were either returning home or heading out. Either way, it was a stark departure from the otherworldly serenity of the Twilight Realm. The atmospheric differences in the world of light were going to take some time to get used to, once again.

'Was this the right place? I'm sure I came down this way… it was so much easier without all these people around.'

Some of the pedestrians couldn't help but notice the striking young man with a lost expression on his face, scanning the buildings with his eyes and nearly obstructing the path.

He wore a tunic of soft green and a matching hat, which only seemed to add to the messiness of his sand-coloured hair. At first look, one might have mistaken him to be harmless, yet strapped to his back was an exceptionally well-crafted blade and a weighty shield. His eyes were an uncanny shade of cerulean, which nearly offset the rest of his gentle face.

 _'Lost,_ are we?' taunted a mischievous voice in the man's ear.

"Not now!" he growled quietly, so as not to appear even madder than he might've liked.

'It's not that different here at night. I mean look, they even light the way for you stupid Hylians to see where you're going.'

"That's not the problem! I just can't remember which building it was, I know it was around here somewhere!"

'Take the next left… I swear, you're more useful as a wolf. Maybe you ought to consider making the change permanent.'

The swordsman quickened his pace, ignoring the imp in his shadows. He knew that it was in both of their interests to find the bar as quickly as possible. Afterall, she needed his assistance to get anywhere in the world of light, as unwilling as he might've been at times.

"… Look at this clown."

He looked up to see a peculiar group of citizens sizing him up from across the pavement, interrupting his thoughts. The one who spoke was another young warrior roughly his age, a dark-haired girl, who wore steel-plated gauntlets and leggings over a tight blouse and embroidered pants. Her eyes were fixated in disgust. Next to her was an older-presenting Hylian whose eyes were a darker shade of indigo, framed by round glasses and warm, copper hair. His clothes were undeniably flashier than his colleagues, comprised of a white under-blouse and black ribbon tie.

"Oh dear," he tsk-ed, glancing at the swordsman's clothes. "Pray tell, where did you buy that outfit, Mr. Hero? Would you be so kind as to put in an order for me, next time?"

"Wh-What?" the swordsman choked for a moment, taken back by their audacity.

Did these strangers… think he was in some _costume?_

The older man accompanying them had the look of a vagabond, downplaying his rough exterior so as to blend in with his surroundings. "I don't believe some of the buffoons who travel here to perform," he muttered as they continued down the walkway.

"They must truly be desperate to draw an audience at the actors' inn," Shad concurred.

'Hahaha!' the shadow cackled into the swordsman's ear. 'Even your own people think you look silly, Link!'

Link bit down on his tongue as he stomped in the opposite direction. "I don't care!" he said aloud. "I'm here for Ilia! I need to make sure that she's still here, and that she's alright." The warrior in green immediately recognised the turn in the road ahead, in addition to the vines, which grew sporadically along the walls and fixtures of the buildings. He could also hear the night market from the adjacent main street.

 _This was it._

Analysing his surroundings, Link then followed a worn staircase leading down into a hidden square.

* * *

The scholar opened the door to his quiet abode, dimly lit by a single string of lanterns near the kitchen window. "If you'd both be so kind as to wait for me. I must see to it that nothing else befalls my work on this awful day."

Ashei and Auru kept inoffensively to the doorway of the house while Shad disappeared, collectively stacking some of the books he'd littered along his counter-tops in the process.

Looking around, one would've noticed that the home was remarkably bare, even for a bachelor. Apart from the odd hand-written note stuck to a chair or tower of books, there was a single vase of flowers on the dining room table and a series of impromptu bookshelves, which ran chaotically along the walls. A pair of cats' eyes glowered menacingly from the other side of the windowsill, a 'stray,' which had obviously found a way to manipulate the peculiar scholar into providing the occasional dinner.

Auru waited until Shad's rustling grew faint before asking, "Did something happen between the two of you earlier?"

"… No. I mean, not _really._ What gave you that idea?" Ashei lied, casually skimming over the notice that had been shoved under the door.

"I can still sense some tension in the air. Both of you seem avoidant, for a start."

"Well, look, it was nothing serious. I arrived early yesterday and asked Shad how his research was going. He said he'd hit a couple of roadblocks and that he's on notice from his landlady."

"What did you say?"

"… I told him he was being ridiculous," the warrior shrugged, now shaking a nearby empty wine bottle upside down.

"And did you think that was a helpful assessment of the situation?" enquired the older man, wittingly.

"No," Ashei faltered. "Hey, don't get me wrong. I wasn't trying to be malicious or anything. I just want him to get out there and succeed. He's given up so much to have gotten this far, I've never known anyone to have dedicated so much of their life to something that may or may not yield results."

"You know that this was his father's research, too."

"Yeah but it goes further than that," Ashei continued, guarded. "I didn't have to follow my father and take up the blade. I could've just as easily kept to myself and made a decent living, or moved into the city for –" the tittering laughter of a small group of noblewomen, decked out in their frilly attire, came in through the windows as they passed, "… for the _culture._ But I wanted to use my strength. I wanted to see where it could take me, and once I saw what I was capable of I went and found a cause – _our_ cause, which is worthy of my blade. And I see him trying to do the same by choosing this… precarious path."

"You have your talents and he has his. The world of books is only as deep as our limited understanding of the world, and our knowledge of the ancients slips further from our grasp each day," Auru surmised. "It'll take no small amount of effort and perhaps even a stroke of luck to prove Shad's thesis. But if he does, I imagine he will be the first in a long line of academic successors."

"If anyone out there can do it, it's him," Ashei shrugged. "Maybe my job is a bit more clear-cut, I haven't met any foe I haven't been able to engage with in battle."

The scholar tilted his head in bemusement, leaning against the kitchen table.

"How long were you standing there?" she hissed in embarrassment.

"Long enough to take heed of your backhanded compliments. Please, neither of you stop on my account."

"Don't let it get to your head."

The men exchanged a knowing smirk. Extracting compliments out of the hostile warrior was a game not easily won.

"Well, it looks like my business here is done," the scholar concluded graciously. "So, onward to Telma's Bar, then? I have a hunch we'll be seeing Rusl soon."

* * *

On an ordinary night the busyness of Telma's Bar would have already hit peak levels. All that stood between the quiet inside and the chaos of the street was a small 'closed' sign hanging over the entrance. In contrast, Link noted that the door was in fact slightly ajar, and that a warm light radiated from all the windows of the building. His hand then _lingered,_ a little too long before he dared to let himself in.

Surely, once Ilia saw him, she would understand. And she wouldn't be _afraid_ anymore.

'This is it…' he told himself. With a heavy sigh he knocked and pried it open further.

"H-Hello? Anyone here at the moment?"

The swordsman noticed the tall red-haired woman with a bronze complexion, notably the bar owner he'd seen earlier, and the feeble doctor below her. They were hunched over a small and unconscious Zora boy who had been carefully laid to rest upon a table. Next to the doctor was the ash-blonde girl he'd been searching for all of this time. And her eyes were full with tears.

"… Ilia!" the swordsman gasped.

"Why do you keep sending me patients that I can't treat?!" scolded the old man.

"I don't care about what happened to me! But you must be able to do something about this boy! Doctor, please, he'll die!" Liza cried.

"There's not a thing I can do for the Zora! And the ones who come to the market haven't been here all week. The only practitioner I know who has experience with non-Hylians is in Kakariko Village."

"Who? Tell us his name!" Telma demanded.

"Renado. He's a shaman – not from any medical school around here! And if you ask me, you get what you pay for."

Link's mind clicked into gear. Renado? He knew him well, and he'd just come from Kakariko to free the Lanayru Province from the Twilight Realm.

"Doctor! Please!" the barmaid cried. "You can't leave him like this!" The older man pushed past Link who stood innocently in the doorway. "Get out of my way," he grumbled, before slamming the door for the second time that week.

Liza finally glanced at over at the green-clad stranger with a dejected look on her face. "Sorry, mister… the bar's closed for the night," she said dismissively.

"W-Wait…!"

The girl was unresponsive.

Link's eyes widened in shock as the gravity of the situation dawned on him. He'd needed to see her, to make sure that she was okay. And now that he'd found her, she stood before him with the indifference of a stranger in her eyes. What had happened to her? How could she forget him – the farmhand that she'd grown up with – the only boy in the village her age – her _best friend?_

Was she mad with him? That seemed unlikely, as Ilia was never the type to shy away from speaking her mind.

Maybe she'd chosen to forget…

The ghost of the Bulblin general's blade lingered in Link's shoulder joint, precisely where he'd had his sword arm sliced off in front of Ilia. If it weren't for the light spirit of Ordona he'd have died, then and there, without the luxury of time to find his lost friend. And at this moment here in the bar, not even a scar served as a reminder of the trauma, only his memory.

Ilia.

 _"I'm so glad you're safe!"_ he wanted to say – he wanted to grab her and cry the way he did when he'd saved Colin and found the rest of the children from Ordon village in safe hands – but instead he swallowed the words. How could he have failed her so terribly? Instead, he found himself apologising. Even if he didn't deserve her forgiveness.

"I… I'm sorry."

Liza barely acknowledged the swordsman, turning her attention back to the Zora boy whose breaths had grown increasingly shallower with time. "There isn't anything more we can do for him, here," she said softly.

 _Prince Ralis!_

Link remembered seeing him before, struggling through the town gates, dizzy with exhaustion. Glancing upon him now, he was surprised at how quickly the child's condition had deteriorated in a short period of time. This could have easily been any of the children from Ordon village. But luckily, there was still time for him to keep his promise to Queen Rutela.

"Excuse me Mr. Handsome Swordsman, would you be a dear and help me with these towels for the boy?" Telma interrupted, drawing a hesitant Link into the kitchen. Though they were just around the corner, she'd hoped that the stove, running basin and the counter-tops would muffle most of their conversation.

"Uh, yeah – sure… I'm sorry to barge in like this. You're Telma, right?" the swordsman floundered, grabbing the back of his neck.

"Aren't you astute for an out-of-towner?" the proprietress winked. "Yes. I'm the owner of this bar and that's my employee, Liza. I can see that you know the girl by another name."

Link abruptly caught a bucket filled with cool, fresh water and two towels from the bar owner.

"Th-That's right."

"May I ask what business you have with her? You're not some spurned ex-boyfriend are you?"

"N-No!" Link yelled, turning slightly red despite the weight of the situation. "Never! I'd never harm Ilia, she's my sis – my _friend._ I came all this way to check if she was still safe – I saw her with you and I just wanted to be sure."

Telma regarded him with folded arms, eyeing the swordsman sceptically before leaning in to meet his eye-level. Her face finally softened. "Well Mr. Swordsman, I'm just making sure you're on her side too. She's been through a lot, hasn't she?"

Link averted his eyes, shamefully. "I… I couldn't get to her in time… after they took her away from our village… it was my fault."

The bar proprietress turned the taps at the basin off. "Honey, whoever did this to her wouldn't be standing in my kitchen now checking on her wellbeing. You might've already guessed by now that she can't remember a thing about her ordeal, or about who she was before it."

Link felt his eyes begin to sting and he shuffled uncomfortably.

 _So, it was true._

He swallowed.

"… That explains why she doesn't want to talk to me."

"I get the impression that she was important to you, and that you do have her wellbeing at heart," Telma said, keeping her voice low and calm. "But I actually wanted to ask you… not to spring this on her just yet. At the moment Liza and this boy need all the support they can get. If you can wait until this ordeal is over… and win her trust as her friend… then we can work on restoring her memory together, with her on board. I promise."

The swordsman nodded once, slowly. And then he closed his eyes, feeling his fists clench in a quiet rage. "… You should know that I stopped them. The ones that did this won't be able to harm anyone, ever again," he said softly, tempering the subtlety in his own voice.

"Well, well. I'm glad."

Telma wasn't entirely sure what to make of this stranger. If what he was saying were true, then he certainly had the skill to back up the curiously formidable equipment he carried. 'I wonder if he might be up for some extra work,' she contemplated.

The pair returned in silent accord to the main floor of the bar, where Link placed the bucket and towels next to his old friend. Liza began gingerly soaking the fabric and dabbing it along the Zora boy's forehead.

"We need to find Renado in Kakariko Village. How far away is it?" she asked.

"It's across the plains to the east. But if what the soldiers are saying is true, there are hoards of monsters out there at the moment. Nobody's traveled that way in weeks," Telma said with a gaunt expression, shaking her head.

"Is there _anyone_ in this town who can get us there? We need to leave tonight!"

The bar owner watched Link with a roguish glint in her eye.

"I can do it. I can get us there."

Liza looked up, aghast. She regarded the swordsman with her full attention for the first time. "Can you, really? Please, at this rate the boy won't make the night! I don't have a lot of money but we'll make it up to you, I promise." Link reined in his look of surprise. He couldn't recall a time in which he'd seen Ilia so intense in her determination. Even if she were remarkably so, back home.

"You'll have the lives of three people in your hands, you know." The proprietress reminded. "Are you sure you've got it in you?" The swordsman turned his attention to the sickly Zora boy, who was muttering quietly in between shallow breaths.

 _"M… M-Mother… Mother…"_

"Yes. I can get us safely to Kakariko. I'll even introduce you to Renado, I know him, he's a good man," he promised. Link nearly fell backwards as Liza rushed towards him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tightly. _"Thank you_ so much! You have no idea what this means! Who are you? What's your name?"

"… Link. My name is Link."

Liza seemed to go still for a moment, before a warm smile washed over her face. "Mr. Link, it's nice to meet you. You have a kind heart."

The swordsman fidgeted in response, conscious of the sweat gathering in his palms.

"N-No problem, Ili – I mean, _Liza…"_ he clarified.

"Don't go thanking him until we get there safely. And let's get packing, honey. We need to get going now if we're to give this Zora the best chance." The proprietress advised, throwing a measured smile of approval to their new bodyguard.

Link exhaled slowly, turning his mind to the campaign ahead. He was no longer an innocuous farmhand from Ordon village. He had tasted violence, traveled from the realm of light and taken the form of a beast to protect those he cared for. He knew he could not fail Ilia again. If it came down to it, he would give his life to ensure that their mission was a success. "I'll be able to guard you from horseback. How do you two plan on managing the trip?" he enquired, tactically.

"I'll drive. I've got a horse and cart ready to go at the stables," Telma assured, sweeping her effects into a bag.

"And I'll protect the boy!" Liza declared with a fist. "Telma, get me the crowbar!"

Link whistled once, quietly.

Just what kind of place _was_ this establishment?


	4. Night to Remember

**Chapter 4 – Night to Remember**

"… What the hell?" Ashei said as she peered through the darkened windows of the bar. She'd never known Telma to shut the doors for the night, short of an emergency that would be in the same vein as the moon crashing into the town. Even then, she imagined that this place would still draw quite the crowd.

"If you could grant me a moment," Shad assured, digging into one of the pockets of his purple coat. "I have a spare key. Surely Telma has left us a note inside, explaining the situation."

The warrior sniffed loudly in amusement. "You have your own key to get in? I bet that'd come in handy when you're running low on booze."

"Yes, yes… Don't mind the fact that it specifically comes in handy for moments like these. If you keep that up, I may choose to leave you outside," he replied, holding back a rather undignified eye-roll.

Shad fiddled with the lock longer than he would've liked, though he was glad to be in the company of those who couldn't have mistaken him for a thief. With a final _click,_ he slowly opened the door into the silent void. The bar was nothing short of eerie without its familiar hostess and perpetual warmth to greet them. Nobody in recent memory could have seen it so quiet - as though it were mere hours before the dawn. The chandelier over the entrance swung silently as a light draft wafted in from the street.

"Pardon us, is there anybody home?" the scholar asked, stepping forward. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Louise ran at his ankles, purring loudly. Ashei immediately dislodged one of the unlit candles beside the doorway and handed it to Auru, digging around in her own leather bag for flint.

"I wonder what could've caused our bar maiden to abandon her post?" The wiser man of the three contemplated.

Immediately, the other two were struck by the same realisation.

 _The girl._

"Liza! Oh heavens, no, I hope nothing bad has happened to them…" Shad sighed, feeling around the room for the nearest table.

"Who is this Liza? A new face in town?" Auru enquired.

"She is… well, she's a new employee at the bar," he explained in an effort to omit any suspicion from the charming girl. "She started yesterday and she's been doing an admirable job, so far."

"Is that so?"

"We don't actually know anything about her, you know," Ashei scowled, striking her flint over the candle. "She could have a dangerous history. Someone terrible could've followed her into town." Though her visibility was low, she could now _feel_ Shad glaring at her from across the darkened tavern.

"And what exactly should we have done then, Ashei? Thrown her _out?_ Let the inept fools who guard this city take her under their broken wing?"

"Shad –"

"We have given her the best chance at a normal life, here! I don't suppose you saw fit to share any of these concerns with Telma, did you?"

The warrior paused for a moment in a clumsy attempt to avoid further conflict. It seemed to her as though they were hell-bent on arguing all week.

"What I meant to say, Shad… was that there's a lot going on at the moment," she replied after taking a deep breath. "That girl, Liza or whoever she _really_ is, she's not the only refugee in this crisis. People all over Hyrule are being displaced and sooner or later, these problems are going to take hold of this town, too. These incidents are all connected… somehow."

"It looks like I have a lot to catch up on in our meeting," Auru said pointedly as he lit the other candles in the room.

"If it sounds like I'm blaming her, I'm not, you know. But for Telma to suddenly close out of the blue? Don't tell me that's not suspicious."

Shad angrily turned his attention to the main bar, finding a hand-written note from the proprietress herself. "… Sorry to leave on short notice," he read aloud, angling the page into the light. "Liza and I have gone to Kakariko to save a Zora boy who collapsed outside. We are in the care of a swordsman in green, named Link. Please wait for us here… kisses and hugs, signed by Telma."

"The plains surrounding Kakariko Village are full of monsters at the moment. One of their generals was seen there recently, gathering an army," Auru informed. "I hope that this 'Link' is as capable as they seem to believe."

The scholar lay the letter to rest on the bench once again and pulled up a chair to collect his thoughts. "This is truly awful news, indeed. The three of them are in terrible danger," he murmured, now scratching a very eager cat behind her ears.

With things the way that they were at the present, he questioned the sanity of leaving Hyrule Castle Town in his wild search for the truth. Still, if the world were indeed coming to an end, wouldn't it be the ideal and perhaps the _only_ time to leave?

"A Zora made it all the way out here?" Ashei faltered, a rare occurrence which caught everyone off-guard. "… I wish I'd known. I'd have helped him myself."

Shad and Auru looked up at her in unison.

"What happened on your travels, Ashei? Do you know something about the Zoras?" Auru had asked, rather perceptively.

The warrior let out a tired exhale, overcome with a strange mixture of guilt and apprehension. She knew that there was no point in waiting, as ineffectual as their position might seem. "I wanted to put off telling either of you until Rusl arrived, but… yeah. I noticed some strange weather patterns at Lake Hylia and went further up the river to check it out. It only got worse from there…" she said, shaking her head. "The weather was… cold. Freezing cold."

"At Zora's River? But it normally has such a warm climate," the scholar interjected.

"That's exactly why it felt wrong. It began to snow and the Hylians who lived there said they hadn't seen any Zoras around. So I followed the trail to their Domain. By the time I got there, whoever had done it was long gone. Queen Rutela was there… slain… and all the Zoras were frozen in the ice beneath her."

"Oh… Ashei, that's… horrible."

"I couldn't do anything – not alone. The best I could manage was to come here. But Princess Zelda hasn't been seen in weeks, she's powerless to help."

Shad wondered if this was behind some of the recent cracks in his friend's otherwise indifferent exterior. He couldn't recall a time in which they'd clashed so glaringly.

"I think this place is next. They've hit all the other towns now, haven't they?" she asked, looking to the older gentleman in their midst.

"I can only confirm Lake Hylia, Kakariko and Ordon Village, in addition to Zora's Domain," Auru listed. "But… yes. I would agree that Hyrule Castle Town is likely to be their next target."

"Couldn't the issues at the castle already be proof of this interference?" Shad contemplated.

The sullen warrior made her way behind the bar, pouring herself a healthy amount of spirits. "I mean, yeah – it's highly likely that they're related – but whoever is behind it all loves to make a show of things. We're in for something else. Something worse than our guards and Princess going quiet."

What was going to _happen_ to this city? And who would be left to defend it after the guards were stripped bare by the problems at the castle? The ghastly image of the Zora queen in that throne room and her citizens trapped beneath her in the ice wasn't going to disappear in a hurry.

"Anyone else?" Ashei offered with a shake of the bottle. Though she had only recently come of age, she certainly had the airs of a veteran when it came to liquor, and could more than hold her own.

"I certainly wouldn't mind one, considering everything that's happened," came a new voice from the doorway. "Nice to see you've started the meeting without me!"

"Rusl!" Shad beckoned.

A middle-aged helmeted swordsman stepped into the now generously lit bar, hanging his cloak onto the rack next to the door. "Forgive my lateness, I wasn't able to join you earlier on account of my wife and son," he explained, with obvious fatigue etched into his face.

"What ever happened to them? Are they safe?" the scholar gasped. The atmosphere in the room had grown tense, given the fact that Rusl and his wife Uli were also expecting a baby.

"Both are out of harm's way, for the time being. It appears I have my apprentice to thank for that."

"You have an apprentice?" The warrior over the bar smirked as she poured Rusl a drink. "Maybe you should send them my way when they're ready for some real survival training, yeah?"

"He's a resourceful lad," Rusl warned. "At times I wonder if even I have underestimated his abilities."

* * *

"Link!"

The young swordsman looked to his side and saw Ilia at the reigns of Telma's carriage horse, thundering dangerously fast across Hyrule Field.

"How are you doing that?!" he called out as she matched the speed of their own horse, Epona. It disheartened him to see that Ilia hadn't batted an eyelid when the ordinarily distant mare approached her of her own accord. _"I don't know!"_ Liza shouted, almost cheerful in her surprise. "But… I've got this! We're losing them!"

Link looked behind his shoulder and noticed that the hoard had dwindled into a sparse group of three or four Bulblins. Their red eyes and sickly green skin was seemingly luminous in the light of the moon – their wild boar mounts more powerful than they were fast. "Keep going! I'll take care of the stragglers!" he cried. He pulled on the reigns to hold back, swinging his sword to catch the their foes' attention.

In return, Liza gripped tighter to the leather in her hands and powered forward, doing her best to dampen the apprehension she felt for Link's safety. She couldn't stop herself from wondering why would a normal stranger go to such lengths to assist her and the boy. And the strange manner in which he regarded her – it was like a mixture of _sadness_ and _relief_ – held back by some unspoken discipline.

 _'What an odd thought…_ _why would he be sad to see me?'_

 _'Did I… do something… before?'_

"The road!" Liza gasped, snapping back to the chaos at hand. She could feel their horse beginning to struggle under the weight and stress of the chase, taking the opportunity the swordsman gave them to ease up on their speed. "Telma, which road do we take?"

"Steer right and we'll take the shortcut through that gate," the bar owner instructed, gripping the younger girl's shoulder. "I have to say darling, you've certainly got your talents about you. Did I happen to pick up the best horse racer in Hyrule?"

Liza threw a tentative look over her shoulder and scanned the field for the swordsman. The sound of distant hooves reverberated across the plain, followed by the discord of the monsters' reptilian cries. She heard a loud thud as one of them hit the gravel. With a flash of silver it began to bleed profusely from its back, snarling at the others of its kind. A barrage of fire arrows then flew into the sky, with one breaking form as it bounced off the swordsman's blade. Link's attention flickered between the carriage, Epona and the dwindling onslaught.

One of the monsters called to the night, omitting a pattern of unpleasant growls.

 _'That sound…_ _No, not that sound… please…'_

"T-Telma… I… can't…" Liza felt herself begin to lose control, struggling to maintain a shaky grip on the reigns. Her face was pale, awash with horror. "I can't do this! They can't catch us again...!" She tried holding her breath to drown the wave of rapid breaths, her body suddenly wracked with an unfounded fear of a lack of oxygen.

"You're doing so well," Telma assured, taking over in one swift motion. "But I can handle it from here. You should wait in the back and keep the boy company. Keep your eyes on him, he needs you."

Liza pried herself mechanically from the front of the carriage and crawled next to the makeshift bed for the Zora. She couldn't bring herself to look at him any longer than necessary, fearing the mistake it might have been to ride him all the way out here.

"… M-Mother… I…" he gasped.

The screeching cries of the two Kargaroks circling them from above were cut short by the whistling of arrows, swiftly felling them to the earth. At once, Link and Epona pulled up next to the bar proprietress who halted for the gates. "Is everyone alright?" he asked in between pants of breath.

"We're fine honey, you're doing commendably well so far. Can you get the lock?"

She watched as the young man dismounted in haste and dislodged the chains on the fence. His intense expression hardened further upon searching the horizon that lay behind them. "Get out of here, quickly! There's more!" he shouted. With a sharp strike, Telma's horse bolted forward and Link fell behind once more to buy them time.

'There's still so many! Are there reinforcements in the hills? Didn't I take care of their general?' His thoughts lingered for a moment before he cast them aside, once again. And then, the young hero felt his mind and body clicking back into gear – one that seemed to take over when he had been thrust into danger. He knew what needed to be done and used every weapon at his disposal to destroy, without mercy. The chaos only spurned Link forward, to feed his resolve, and with a mere twitch of his sword-arm, he set forth to cripple the enemy ranks.

"How are you both doing back there?" Telma enquired, keeping her voice audible but calm.

"I… I'm alright…" Liza replied, swallowing her breaths. "And so is he… he's still talking."

"We're over halfway there, just a bit longer!"

Liza closed her eyes and counted the sounds in an effort to ground herself once more. She heard the faint roar of battle, the crack of reigns and the Zora boy's stirring words. But then, all was interrupted when a loud explosion tore through the room, followed by the ignition of flames upon the canvas walls. "Protect the boy! He won't be able to handle the flames!" Telma's warning rang out into the distance.

In response, the lost girl threw herself over the prince, shielding him from the smoke and heat.

 _'I have to get him out of here…_ _I won't let them have him.'_

She saw the eyes of four younger children – vulnerable and terrified – looking to her for protection. All the while, the flames were spreading ravenously to the roof of the carriage.

 _"Ilia, I'm so scared. Where's Link?"_

She saw a boy strapped to the general's war mount – tusks protruding from the hulking metal armour. Telma's horse screeched in fear and the room began to quake.

 _"I know he won't give up until he finds us!"_

She watched as her own hands released the chains and the children fled beyond the camp, into the night. The thundering hooves grew louder and louder.

 _"Go, now! To Kakariko Village!"_

And then, she saw it. The boy called Link… face-down, in the Ordon Spring… with blood everywhere, soaking through his clothes and unraveling in the waters around him. His left arm had been brutally dismembered. She watched the blade bite into his shoulder in full, visceral horror. And after that, he was no longer moving. She had watched him die.

 _'Please, no. Not like this._ _SPIRIT OF ORDONA, PLEASE…_ _YOU HAVE TO SAVE HIM!'_

"LINK!" she screamed.

The burning carriage around her exploded. A vicious gale tore into the room and the smoke that flooded it seeped down into the floor. The sound of the hooves crashed into an empty silence. Everything had stopped moving. Ilia – deaf to the world and frozen in fear – gripped tightly onto her face, her eyes wide in shock.

What part of it was real? Her memories were all so… fragmented. But the haunting logic in her mind knew that if some of it was... then all of it had to be. The realisation was so heavy, she felt as though she might fall through the earth.

 _'My name. What was my name?'_

She woke to the vague feeling of hands on her shoulders and the sensation of being shaken.

"Ilia… ILIA!"

The familiar blue-eyes of their swordsman called her back, a look of utter despair on his face. She noticed that he was crying, no longer able to contain the fear that had held him back at the bar. "Please, tell me you're alright! I'm sorry I couldn't get to you faster! I'm sorry."

Telma watched as the scene unfolded before her from the drivers' rest, the room around them at a complete standstill. The Zora boy lay peacefully upon the wooden floor, untouched by the flames.

"… Link," she said.

At once, the young man felt crushed by the weight of his relief. "Il – I mean _Liza_ – I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to endanger you all."

The girl exhaled slowly and regarded the swordsman with a newfound calm.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he breathed. "It's over."

Ilia looked beyond the burned husk of the carriage and saw the ghastly remains of several monsters strewn across the field, mixed within the footprints of their mounts. A strange emotion washed over her at once, as though she had blinked and found herself in the grip of some wild, improbable future. So much had changed in the time her identity slept. But, most importantly, the four of them were alive.

"Link…? Link, it's… _me,"_ she said hoarsely. The swordsman regarded her with a look of total bewilderment, unsure of whether to believe. "It's Ilia. I didn't mean to worry anyone." She felt Link's arms embrace her once again and leaned into their touch.

His tears soaked into her shoulder, pulling her head-first into the present.


	5. Clock Strikes

**Chapter 5 – Clock Strikes**

"They're here!"

The Resistance members waited on Telma for two days – their rendezvous kicked off by a series of grim reports detailing the lawless state of Hyrule. In spite of the situation at hand their meeting was eventually broken up by humorous anecdotes from their travels, which began to eclipse each other in their absurdity. On occasion the odd customer would show up to tap on the window, failing to read the 'closed' sign on the door. It seemed as though the neighbourhood only cared to return to their evening festivities.

The scholar, feeling more on edge than he could bear, had volunteered to hold down their post and collaborate their reports while his contemporaries ventured out to make use of the local blacksmith and markets. On the second morning, it was him who had spotted their dear friend in tow with her new employee, using the balcony overhanging the bar as a study area. Thankfully, neither of them appeared to be worse for wear.

"Glad to have you back, old friend," Rusl welcomed, opening the door before the proprietress could get the keys out of her bag. "It's good to _be_ back," Telma said with an unusually tired smile, embracing him with a single arm. Louise appeared at the bar owner's side and meowed in greeting.

"Auru is out at the moment but all of us are in town now. We weren't quite sure what to make of your sudden adventure," the swordsman laughed lightly.

"I'm relieved to see you all actually listened and waited for me here. We got that boy the help he needed to pull through, no thanks to a _very_ talented shaman and my new girl here. I believe you're from the same town!"

Rusl looked beyond the doorway to see Ilia standing there in the morning sun, her clothes only lightly covered in dust. "Oh my… Ilia?" She crashed into his arms, ecstatic to be reunited with her village's sworn protector.

"Rusl! I had no idea you were friends with Telma!"

"Ilia, we've been looking _everywhere_ for you! Your _father_ – he will be overjoyed to hear of your safety! All of us were incredibly worried after we found the kids safe but you'd vanished without a trace!"

Ilia took a step back, her face radiating warmth. "My f-father… yes, I must write to him. He needs to know I'm okay."

Certain details of her past were still vague and seemed to only be activated by certain words, sounds and colours. She'd even needed Link to remind her of Epona's song. But in spite of this, Ilia could recall the love and safety of her home – she knew that writing to her family was of the utmost importance. Though, she were almost afraid to ask how much time had passed since she had been stolen away from her home.

"Well, Telma, I believe that you mentioned a girl of a different name in your letter… along with a certain swordsman?" Rusl indicated to his friend. It was a perceptive question, kept in the confines of a casual tone. "So I did," the proprietress replied with a wink. "There's quite a bit for us to catch up on. It's been an eventful week."

"Telma – Liza – what a relief!" a voice called from the stairs.

"… Shad!"

The auburn-haired scholar rushed to the doorway and caught Ilia as she embraced him, unabashedly, overflowing with happiness. His glasses were dislodged in the sudden encounter and sat crooked on his face.

"Shad, I got my memory back! Well… most of it," she beamed. "Thank you for waiting for us, and for your kindness to me before. I decided to come back here, to work for Telma."

"I-I see! That's wonderful news! I am truly ecstatic, for your memory and for the fact that neither of you appear to be hurt," he laughed, fighting the sensation of butterflies that had exploded within him upon Ilia's greeting. "I should very much like to hear about your journey later."

"Oh, I should tell you my name… it's actually Ilia," she smiled, pulling away. "It's nice to finally meet you. Properly."

"I-Ilia? My apologies then, I shall endeavor to use your real name."

"It's a very pretty name," Telma concurred, briefly squeezing the scholar's shoulder in greeting. "And she's from Ordon village, just like our Rusl… and quite possibly a new member for our organisation."

"A new member? Well, well… that sounds interesting," Shad smirked.

All of the commotion had stirred the dark-haired warrior from upstairs, who quietly made her way down to the bar floor. Her expression softened upon seeing the bar owner, as exuberant as always. "Hey," she said, simply.

"Ashei honey, it's good to see you," Telma welcomed her, pulling the usually intimidating girl into a casual hug. The bar owner happened to be one of the few people who could get away with touching her – at the very least without gaining a couple of broken fingers in the process.

"Good to have you back… Ilia, is it?" the warrior asked, turning her attention to the barmaid. It was obvious that she had heard more of their conversation than she had missed. The ash-blonde girl nodded, regarding Ashei for the first time. She appeared to be more amicable than before, whether it was out of the relief of having her sense of self restored, or having saved the life of the boy in her care. Her green eyes gleamed with surprise as she finally addressed her.

"You're Ashei, right? I've heard good things about you!"

"… Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, yeah? I'm glad you got your memory back…" the warrior nodded. "To be honest, I'm not used to dealing with new people, so until then I'll probably come off as rude."

"Well, I'm uh – sorry about your clothes," Ilia laughed, nervously. "They were hanging outside when we left."

"It's fine… y'know, they're yours. You can keep them."

"Oh, thank you! I'll take good care of them."

Shad felt his curiosity piqued by the rarity of the situation – he'd never known Ashei to keep many possessions at all, let alone give something as intimate as her pajamas to a total stranger. Was it pure detachment on her part or a gesture of goodwill?

"Does that mean you're finally going clothes shopping?" Telma asked with a glimmer in her eye. "I don't need _stuff_ cluttering up our headquarters, okay? But yes, I suppose I could use a spare set," Ashei bristled. "You're not coming with me."

"Will you at least try something on? You never know, it could be a welcome change."

"Well in that case, what are we waiting for? Guess I'll also hang up my sword and retire this afternoon, seeing as I won't be needing this armour anymore," she snorted, arms folded.

"It's just an idea honey, the world won't end because you decided to try on something different."

"Or at least if it does, you will be dressed for the occasion," Shad interjected with a faux-serious look.

"I hope you two can fit in some sword-practice, until then…" Ashei growled.

"Would you be kind enough to remind us which end to use?"

She rolled her eyes at the scholar's facetiousness and punched him lightly on the arm.

Ilia found herself awfully entertained by the odd dynamics of the group – she'd never been around so many younger people, or at the very least, adults who didn't work on a farm with their family. She could recall mediating between the groups of people in her town, however the particulars of the situations were lost.

Part of her wondered if she had shirked some duty to stay in Kakariko with the rest of the children from Ordon. Each of them had cried in relief upon seeing her after their ordeal, joyous in the knowledge that their caretaker was indeed alive. But after seeing the lengths that Telma had gone to save her and Prince Ralis, who at the time was nothing more than an unfamiliar child, Ilia felt driven to repay her kindness – even if that meant balancing empty glasses and plates into the kitchen. And Hyrule Castle Town certainly had its own enchanting ambience, as though nothing beyond its walls could shake it.

She had come to like this place.

"I can't wait for you all to meet Link!" Ilia piped up with enthusiasm. "I might not be able to do much for your cause but he's strong – and capable. He'll be able to handle anything you throw his way."

"With all of the news, it sounds like he's come a long way from my lessons," Rusl said, looking to Telma. Though he had no trouble believing it, he struggled to hide his concern. "So I take it he's your latest inductee, then?"

"That's right, I've invited him to meet you all the next time he's in town. I think we'll all be able to help each other out."

"You referred to him as the 'swordsman in green'…" Shad thought, aloud. He knew that it sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place his finger on why.

"You don't think that…?" Ashei frowned, catching his gaze. Immediately, he recalled actor they'd run into the other night.

"… That boy in the costume? Ah. If only! Can you imagine how priceless that would be?"

Some small part of him delighted in the irony, as improbable as it might've seemed. That a real person could indeed be going around and performing heroic deeds in the heroes' tunic? It was too much.

"I'm sure it'll be quite a surprise for you both." Telma said, observing the two with some hidden amusement. Any laughs resulting from the encounter were definitely going to be at their expense. Ashei tilted her head towards their meeting table in the corner. "In the meantime, let's recap everything we know and decide where to go from there."

"I'm going to open up in an hour or so, so keep the arguing to a minimum," the proprietress warned them all.

Ilia looked to the table and noticed that somebody punched a knife through a map. Following her better judgement, she decided _not_ to ask.

* * *

It was twenty minutes until midnight on the town plaza clock that was situated upon one of the gate pillars before Hyrule Castle.

The fortified walls of the square were bathed in the blue, rippling light of the fountain, imbuing a sense of calm upon the few citizens who were wandering the streets at such an hour. And the city guards, already scarce, were reduced to all but two men who would occasionally scan the square in between the hushed tones of their own conversation.

Feeling almost as though she didn't belong to the tranquility, Ashei wandered the streets, lost in thought.

Though it felt nothing short of a blessing to have the Resistance united and Telma's Bar up and running again – she wondered how long the peace would last. None of their discussions had alleviated any of her concerns for the future of Hyrule. And from what she'd _heard_ of their ruling monarch, Princess Zelda hadn't been seen in a long time. Gossip on the streets attributed this to some sort of phobia of the public – but it seemed out of character for a figure who was so universally loved, and who was once so readily involved in the city's events.

The secrecy shrouding Hyrule Castle had since given it an ominous character. It loomed over the city like a bomb that could explode at any time.

Turning away, Ashei went to take the southern exit from the plaza before spotting Shad at the fountain. She noticed that the usual array of notes that accompanied the scholar on the nearest surface were in fact closed, and he looked to the distance, lost in thought. Her efforts _not_ to catch his attention were futile, though admittedly she hadn't tried very hard.

"Good evening," he called out, with some obvious relief for the diversion.

"Oh… uh, hey…" she greeted in a tired voice. "What are you doing out here so late?" Ashei took a seat upon the nearest space by the fountain, carefully avoiding any of the books. Shad smiled softly before looking out upon the town once more. "I am partial to using the outdoors for processing some of my work," he replied, "which in this case, happens to be our reports."

Between Rusl's account of the dangers in the south, Auru's knowledge of the armies gathering beyond the roads and Ashei's report on the state of Zora's Domain, Hyrule appeared to be in a dismal state. Nobody could be sure on where to begin – and even then, it looked to be a series of efforts that would have to be undertaken individually. There simply weren't enough people on board to help.

"… To me, it just looks like complete and utter chaos. But I know that's too brief of a conclusion to help our situation," the warrior sighed. "What do _you_ make of all this?"

"It is… disconcerting, to say the least," the scholar began, with a crumpled brow. "The frequency and intensity of these attacks seem to indicate an enemy interest in places of reverence – certainly, they have been targeting towns and settlements beyond our town – but none without a landmark of significance nearby."

"I hadn't thought of it that way. If that's the case, we'd at least have a framework for concentrating our efforts, yeah?"

Shad had then presented a map – one that hadn't been pinned to their meeting table – and gestured to each of the respective areas as he spoke. "The Faron region, perhaps the least familiar to our modern history, hides a wealth of ruins. Then, there are the rumours surrounding the Goron Mines and Lakebed Temple at the foot of the river. If we collaborate those with yours and Auru's accounts, then they appear to be central to the attacks. The only regions unaffected so far are Snowpeak, to the north and the Gerudo desert, to the west."

"I know the Snowpeak region fairly well," Ashei said quietly, thinking back to her last experience on the field. "With what happened to the Zoras, it was like… somebody pulled down that mountain and used it to freeze the river. Like two worlds that should never cross were being used against one another."

"Curious. Terrible – _of course_ – but curious, all the same," Shad frowned, conscious of his awe being confused for indifference.

"Has any of this had an impact on your own research?"

"I… there is no definitive proof, not yet, anyway."

"I've been keeping an eye out on my travels just incase… but I haven't seen much that couldn't be explained, until now. Even the laws of the natural world are in disarray," Ashei contemplated. As somebody who had little to do with prophecies or magic, it was difficult to explain any of the changes that had taken hold of the physical realm – the wilderness – whose beauty was cultivated by its lack of interference with the human world.

"What do you mean?" Shad enquired, genuinely intrigued.

"It started with the little things, like the animals disappearing. Then the carnivorous plants from the forest began spreading like weeds. Soon, I noticed the changes in the weather and in… the light of the sun at the end of the day…" she trailed off. "It just feels so cold and… distant. I know that sounds _crazy._ But I don't know how to explain it. I don't know what to believe anymore."

An uncomfortable pause broke the flow of their conversation before the scholar blinked in surprise.

"Well, you've never been wrong –" he began, biting his tongue after the guarded look that it had earned him. "That is – I mean to say that you have certainly have the _experience_ and the _skill_ to back up your words. If you have a gut feeling with regards to the current state of affairs, I would wager it pointing to the truth. Every time."

"The only credential I have is my life, I guess," the warrior laughed, callously. "But survival isn't enough. I need to become stronger, so that I can defend Hyrule when the time comes."

Something inside of the scholar snapped, to see her make such a self-depreciating comment.

"You are already… indomitable."

The words came out again without a lack of filter and Shad knew that he had made some mistake – from the confusion in Ashei's eyes to the searing heat that began to creep onto his face. "I-I mean… I've never seen you flinch at… anything," he clarified, quickly. "You are always so focused and unmovable – you are rather a force to be reckoned with. I don't believe that strength is what you lack, in the slightest. If there is anything that you want to achieve, you just set out and do it!"

"It never comes… just like that… for me."

"Then it is all the more admirable. I wish I had that drive to finish my own work, as improbable as it is."

"Admirable. Huh."

For a moment it seemed to work. She stopped looking at him with that expression and turned her attention to the ground – he wondered by her tone whether she'd found the compliment amusing. But what followed was even worse. "Then why do I feel so… _powerless?"_ she said faintly.

A thick silence followed the exchange and Ashei hated herself for talking too much, turning away in discomfort.

The warrior considered it shameful to let anyone see the doubt that had continued to plague her, well beyond her last assignment, with so much riding on the Resistances' efforts to restore peace. And she'd pushed this vulnerability as far as she _could_ into the recesses of her mind, so that she could _focus,_ because Hyrule needed it more than ever. But now and then, it would erupt in red _flashes_ and she would lose her temper. Fighting for control only made it worse because it entertained the notion that she was in fact, afraid.

The worst part was, she really didn't want to be that person anymore.

"… I didn't mean to get all heavy on you, yeah? I think I'm just tired."

Recognising the level of discomfort their conversation had stirred in his friend, Shad swept his belongings into a bag and rose from the fountain edge. "Perhaps we should retire for the night? If you'll walk back, with me," he'd smiled, in an effort to restore her pride.

"… Yeah, alright."

It was then that a faint shudder rocked the ground, echoing into the earth as quickly as it had been detected. Both Resistance members looked to the pavement in disbelief and then to the guards in the square, gauging their reaction. The other citizens on the streets carried on about their business, oblivious.

"Did you…"

"Feel something?"

The sky above the castle began to snap with some invisible energy, like lightning, as flecks of light pierced through the night and rained down onto the pavement. And the guards, now rattled beyond belief, could only look up and watch – their weapons pointed, without protocol. Another rumble – _much louder_ – shook the town.

"You need to get out of here," Ashei warned as her fingers closed around the hilt of her sword.

Suddenly, the windowpanes of the buildings began to burst and shards of glass started to rain down onto the street. Muffled shouting erupted from nearby houses, house lights scattered in the distance and cats poured out from the alleys, fleeing the vicinity of the town plaza. Ashei drew her blade and stared up at the castle in abhorrence.

"Get the others and leave town. Now," she demanded.

"No!" Shad refused, pulling them away from the debris. "I'm not running anywhere! Whatever happens to this town, I need to see it."

"You idiot! Just stay behind me!"

As abruptly as the commotion began, all the sound and chaos of the square was blotted out by a magic wall that tore across the horizon – barricading the castle into a terrible prism of black and gold. Tendrils of light swirled from the base of the barrier to the sky, dwarfing the town in its shadow. It was more than enough to draw the attention of the citizens, many of whom were standing in the streets in their nightwear.

Hyrule Castle Town was awake in terror.


	6. After Midnight

**Chapter 6 – After Midnight**

The ordinarily nonchalant citizens of Hyrule Castle Town were gathered in a spectacle that could almost be described as a riot, if not for their unthreatening attire and distinct lack of pitchforks.

The streets were awash with activity - families ushered children out of their homes while others hurried with bags that were obviously intended for a trip beyond the gates. All were mingled with horrified onlookers and the occasional reveller, who would gawk humorously or tip their drink of choice up at the monstrosity in the sky. More problematically, a mob containing some of the town's top merchants, guild members and councillors had gathered before the castle's gate towers. And they were set on heckling the two lone guards who stood between the castle and the public, keeping some distance from the foot of the magic barrier.

"What's going on at the castle?!"

"Where's Princess Zelda?!"

"I pay rates for a _safe_ town! You need to do something about this!"

In retaliation, the guards' spears were pointed menacingly toward the crowd – for their own safety, they'd insisted.

"We demand to speak to your superiors!"

"… Will the Royal Family be compensating me for the drop off in business?"

One of the guards began to shout back at the protest, his eyes obscured by his helmet. "EVERYBODY! BACK TO YOUR HOMES!"

"Sir! Madam, please! Nobody crosses… _the line!"_ The other guard fumbled about, drawing a feeble line out of loose arrows upon the pavement.

The warrior and the scholar were watching the rapidly unfolding scene in disbelief. Were it not for the seriousness of the situation, it would almost be comical – the town was set on tearing itself apart in confusion and those with the burden of keeping order, foolishly ill-equipped as they were, had no power over the townspeople. A political vacuum had taken hold of Hyrule Castle Town without the famed Princess Zelda at its helm, and now its citizens were paying the price.

"What do these idiots honestly think to achieve by shouting at the guards? Look at them – nobody knows what to do," Ashei glared with contempt.

"They're _scared!"_ Shad defended. "Everybody was already on edge from when the castle closed its gates and Princess Zelda vanished."

"Really? All I've seen the townspeople do is work and drink and carry on like nothing else is happening in the world."

Shad stifled a laugh at his friend's trademark bluntness. "Perhaps it looks like that on the outside, but I know this town. There's been significant doubt in the public psyche. Trade has been awful and there's resurgent talk of the war on the streets, and in the papers."

"Sealing the castle away with magic? I'd call that a declaration of war," the warrior scowled, glancing at him sideways. "So, what do we do now? Think it's time we head back to the others?"

The scholar opened his mouth to respond before he was abruptly shoved aside by new members of the expanding crowd. More and more people decided to join the fray in the square, and it became less clear as to whether they were shouting their grievances at the guards, or at the castle itself.

"Some survival instinct, huh."

"This is complete and utter bedlam! It's getting worse!"

"We should _go,_ yeah? There's nothing more we can do here. Let them be mad at the wrong people."

The scholar, however intelligent and socially artful he appeared to be at times, considered himself a mouse in the face of such anarchy. His usual reasoning would have led to prying himself from the crowd and then gathering the resources to assist Resistance members out of the spotlight. But something about this protest felt very wrong – as though it were something totally _preventable._

Upon observing Ashei's reaction, Shad had come to realise that she had given up on the town. Her eyes, a warm flare of sienna, were narrowed in disgust as she calculated whether the unpredictable mass of anger was worth tangling with. Though her weapon remained sheathed for the time being, her hand was poised to strike at a moment's notice.

"Somebody needs to do something," he murmured. Shad recognised the stupidity of putting himself between the mob and the guards – with little benefit – apart from upholding the collective safety of the people in the square.

'Surely the shouting and protests will dissipate on their own?' he reasoned. 'And the guards will soon receive whatever backup remains beyond the trappings of the castle, itself?' But when some of the more 'respectable' members of society began pushing their way to the front, the scholar knew that he'd had enough. Something had to be done. And nobody else in the town appeared game to lead by example.

"If you'll excuse me…" Shad said, steadying the warrior's sword-arm before making his way into the crowd. Ashei glared at the back of his head with an incredulous expression. "Wh- Shad! What are you doing?"

"No more fighting on my behalf!" he called out over his shoulder.

"These people are _unreasonable!_ You'll get yourself hurt!"

Edging through the mob became increasingly difficult as the scholar drew closer to the front. In a strange way, it felt liberating to break form and dive into the thick of the mess, consequences be damned. And the crowd density only seemed to confirm the state of things – that there really was no turning back now. The scholar was committed to the path ahead.

Upon emerging from a row of particularly stubborn merchants, Shad climbed onto the side of the bridge that stretched between the town and the castle gate itself. Some short distance away, at the very end of the road, stood the colossal barrier. The scholar grabbed onto a nearby post for support, before he turned to address the crowd.

"Attention – _attention please_ – good people of Hyrule!"

At first the raucous din of the protesters drowned out his words, but after noticing the young man atop of the barricade, their conservations dwindled into a restless hum. When Shad realised that he had most of the crowd's attention, he felt his heart fluttering in the depths of his throat.

'Oh heavens…'

The air surrounding the barrier felt very much alive, like electricity scattering wildly throughout the atmosphere. Knowing that he didn't have long to capitalise on the group's hesitation, he continued to speak. "This is a problem that _cannot_ be solved today! Please return to your homes! For your own safety and for that of the Royal guards!"

"Why won't they tell us what's going on?!" one member of the crowd shouted back.

"Who put you in charge?"

The scholar took a deep breath before continuing the projection. _"We are all_ feeling some collective frustration at the lack of transparency! _We want answers!_ But we need to put our safety first – by moving away from the…" he looked to the sheepish guard on his left, hunched over his makeshift exclusion zone, "… from the _line!"_

A tentative quiet had fallen over the square and one could begin to hear the song of the barrier – a low, menacing chord, which might have been missed by human ears at first instance.

"We need to go home and stay alert – and be ready to leave if anything changes! Princess Zelda would want-"

"What would you know about the Princess?" sneered a man who had the appearance of an upper-class citizen. "Nobody has seen her in weeks!"

Shad threw a withering look to the meddler. "I beg your pardon, good sir. I am advocating for social cohesion in this matter, as it appears that nobody else will."

"Cohesion?! You would have us run home while the _dogs_ that run this town come up with some cover story for this despicable state of affairs! We deserve better!"

"Please sir, now is not the time-"

 _"You do not run this town, you snivelling upstart!"_ The gentleman promptly shoved the scholar out of the way and then jousted into position in front of the guards. "We demand answers! The people of Hyrule Castle Town will not stand for your incompetence any longer!" he'd shouted at the men in uniform, who were clearly outnumbered a hundred-to-one.

Shad heard the crowd hollering back in response, unable to read the sound for approval or displeasure. Only one thing was certain – he was beginning to lose control of the situation.

"You will not endanger any more people here today," he interrupted, rounding on the antagonist with some ferocity. "Take your petty complaints to the local gazette and _do something useful, for a change."_ For a moment he wondered whether the momentary break in personality had persuaded the noble, who appeared to be at a loss for words. He'd hoped that reason would prevail.

But unfortunately, the pause was short-lived.

Shad was certain that he'd heard his name somewhere in the crowd before a fist collided with his face, erupting into a flash of light and pain.

* * *

"Are you both okay?" Ilia gasped, immediately rising to her feet from the bar table.

Ashei and Shad failed to close the door behind them as they shuffled in awkwardly through the entryway – in the most undashing display of coordination the scholar had ever assembled. He leaned upon the steely girl for support and clutched his face with a free hand. Though the warrior were not accustomed to carrying other people around, she hadn't minded it so much after seeing Shad stand up to some self-important highborn. With some surprise, she'd also noticed that he was remarkably light on his feet… and that he smelled vaguely of something nice, like cinnamon.

"Oh Shad honey, what happened to you?" Telma frowned from behind the bar.

"There was a riot in the square. He tried to fight it with words," Ashei smirked, in spite of herself.

"It in't fubhy…" the scholar groaned, his voice muffled by the hand covering his nose. Upon closer inspection, the proprietress noticed blood splattered upon his shirt. Without another word, she poured him a drink.

"You should sit down," Ilia instructed. The young barmaid pulled up a chair and then ducked into the kitchen, presumably to fetch something that was going to help, as Shad settled into the new support. Telma glanced at the two troublesome Resistance members and raised a single eyebrow. "What was the cause of all that commotion outside? There are people running in the streets."

"Someone… summoned a magic barrier around Hyrule Castle. It's been cut off from town," Ashei explained, her eyes heavy from stress. "Nothing else has happened so far but we need to keep an eye on the situation. Be ready for anything, yeah?"

"Oh for the love of…" the proprietress cursed in a low voice. "I just knew there was something wrong with that castle! I'm going take a look at it myself, if you don't mind." As Telma reached the door, she looked over her shoulder once more. "I know this isn't the best time, but did either of you happen to see Louise outside?"

"Can't say that I have."

"She's been out for a long time. And she's missed her dinner, which is highly unusual," Telma tsk-ed, her eyes combing over the windows of the bar. It was fortunate that they were situated some distance from the town square and that their base was still fully intact.

"I'bm sure she… bhill be back," Shad struggled, feeling a fresh sting from the movement in his face.

"Well, I'll return soon. Hold down the fort for me, won't you all?"

And with a toll of the door chimes, the redhead was gone.

Ilia soon returned to the shaken young man and pulled up a table beside him, placing upon it a generous roll of gauze and a towel with cold water. "Tilt your head back for me?" she asked, physically directing him to do so. The gentleness of her hands on his face hadn't been lost on the scholar, his face already flushed from the pain. "And you'll need to move your hand, so that you can use these."

The barmaid began to tear strips off of the roll of gauze and made a pointing-upwards motion along her nose.

Shad could only look back at her in protest, as talking was still terribly painful. Removing pressure from the area of impact was the last thing that he wanted to do. "Couldh you both… bplease… turn around?" he implored. "I… tbink my nbose… bhight be broken…."

The girls looked at each other just once before they obliged the self-conscious man. "You're still going to be you, broken nose or not," Ilia teased, shaking her head. "And for the record, I think this roughed-up look suits you. Nobody would wanna mess with you after today," Ashei commented, before turning around to face the wall.

The scholar hissed quietly as he began to dress the injury. After a brief pause, he shotted the drink that Telma had left in his midst.

"You had any medical training?" the warrior enquired. Though she hadn't known Ilia for very long, and she was not in the habit of asking personal questions, she couldn't deny the air of mystery that surrounded the younger girl. In part, she also felt guilty for blaming her in the chaos.

"Oh, no I haven't really," Ilia replied with some measured amusement. "I've dealt with the odd broken nose and a couple of work injuries out on the farm. It also helps when someone you know hurts themselves all of the time."

"You seem good at this sort of thing."

"Well, thank you."

After an acceptable amount of time had passed, the two turned around to see Shad with a relatively clean face and gauze lodged within his nose in an effort to stop the bleeding.

"So, taking on an entire riot, huh?" Ashei said, with an odd smile.

"Yes, yes…" the scholar conceded. In hindsight, knew that he wouldn't have handled things any other way – apart from dodging the connecting blow. Not that his reflexes would have permitted such a thing.

"Honestly Shad, what a reckless thing to do!" Ilia chastised. She scowled in such a manner that she'd started to look vaguely threatening. "You could've been seriously hurt and then you'd be in no position to help anyone!"

"It was incredibly stupid to go in there without a plan. Like, really stupid. I never expected that from you," Ashei agreed, folding her arms.

"Are you both… _scolding_ me?" Shad did his best not to smile and send fresh waves of pain across his face, though he was losing the battle. It had cheered him up to see the fire returned to the younger girl's personality. Glimpsing upon it now, he could only guess at the kind of person she might have been at home.

"You should know better," Ilia huffed.

"I should've stopped it," the warrior began. "But it was also… kind of awesome to see you stand up to the entire town like that. Quite a few people started to leave once you were uh – escorted out of there."

"… I… oh…" The scholar blinked in surprise. "… I am thankful, then… to have done the right thing."

"That stupid noble went back to harping on about Zelda of course, but eventually they stopped listening. Too boring."

Ilia leaned forward and took a closer inspection of the scholar's hastily patched-up nose. "We'll need to keep an eye on the swelling. I hope that's all it is because the local doctor is totally useless," she said, delicately.

"I pray… that is not the case…"

"If you were hit square on, then it should be okay. Hopefully they didn't get an angle on you."

"How can you be sure? A few rough days on the farm, huh?"

To everyone's surprise, Ilia began to laugh. "… Not in _my_ experience, no. But I suddenly remembered Link flying face-first into a fence when one of our more difficult goats charged him. He tried so hard to hide how much it really hurt! But he ended up fine, if a bit sore."

"… You're telling me that a goat got the better of this so-called amazing swordsman, then?" Ashei smirked, now positively entertained.

"Oh, well he wasn't a swordsman to begin with," Ilia corrected. "He was actually our best farm-hand, he worked mostly with animals."

"Not that there's anything wrong with that but – this is the same guy who single-handedly emptied two fields of monsters, yeah?"

"Goddesses, I knew that Rusl was experienced but… what tricks did he pull out of that helmet… to manage such an impressive feat of training?" Shad muttered, applying a fresh dab of cool water onto his face. "Surely this Link fellow… was in the wrong profession all along…"

"Maybe…" Ilia contemplated. "I got the feeling that he was… always going to leave our town. I just never thought it would be like this."

"Well, I can't wait to work alongside him," Ashei decided. "After all, I can't let my skills fall behind some new kid."

"He'll appreciate having others to help," Ilia said with a cryptic smile. "We all put so much onto him and he's never complained. Still, I wonder how he's doing out there, alone…"

"I wouldn't worry. Some people work best by themselves."

The scholar rose lethargically to his feet, steadying himself with a hand on the table. As much as he wanted the gossip on their latest recruit, his own pride was wounded and it demanded time to heal. "Forgive me, ladies… but I believe I should be making my way home…" he yawned. "It is incredibly late… and if I'm to be of any use tomorrow… I must rest…"

"You can't," Ashei interrupted sternly, as Ilia pressed his shoulders back down into the chair.

"Shad, you might have a _concussion,"_ she informed him. Her gaze was far more pitying than the one to her right. "So it's best if you sit up for a while longer. We'll do our best to keep you awake though, right Ashei?"

"… Uh… yeah." The warrior cringed. Though, she soon reconciled that she wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway after witnessing such an attack on Hyrule Castle. In addition to this, Shad looked to be in a terrible state and she couldn't shake her amusement at the fact that he, of all people, had nearly gotten into a fight. For as long as she could remember it, he would never live this incident down.

"Great, I'll make us some coffee!" Ilia offered.

And then she disappeared, before the others could argue.


	7. Fateful Nerve

**AN:** Thanks for your reviews! I spent so long setting everyone up, I think now we can finally get started. xD

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – Fateful Nerve**

A week had passed since the barrier enveloped Hyrule Castle, its townspeople – initially scrambling for some semblance of explanation and order – returning to their lives in spite of the disruption.

While some citizens could not bear to look at the apocalyptic reminder in the sky and moved out of the potential destruction zone, many others were content to carry on with their business as usual. The surrounding skies were blue and the sun continued to rise each morning, but by the twilight hours it would eclipse the castle itself and drown the city in a muted aura of gold.

The usual array of customers stopped by Telma's Bar in the evenings, though the mood had devolved from one of festivity into a shaded corner of the world where one could choose to forget the calamity outside. A subdued atmosphere did little to dampen efforts from the Resistance who were essentially on-call for the rest of Hyrule.

"Well, I suppose this is farewell," Shad concluded as he locked the door.

It had been two days since Ashei left town, with the resident scholar taking advantage of the present afternoon to carry the last of his moving boxes into the bar. He was accompanied by Ilia, who was only too happy to volunteer her day off to assist. Together they stood at the door of the terraced house, looking it over a final time.

"Shad… I'm sorry about your home," the younger girl frowned, looking to the pavement as they turned to leave.

"It is no trouble. Well, in actuality, it is rather a pain to have to move all of these books," he said, softly. "But I am lucky to have somewhere to go until my situation improves. I imagine that these times have brought worse living arrangements onto others. I count myself as very fortunate, indeed."

"We're both so lucky to have Telma," she considered as they took to the streets. "But just think, once you finish your work you'll be unstoppable."

"Ah… yes…" the scholar trailed off, also averting his gaze. After a momentary pause, he continued in a light-hearted tone. "I suppose the first thing I will do, after sorting out any arrears of course, is cover any of the remaining tabs at the bar. After all, Telma is my sole patron now."

"What else will you do once you finish your book? I don't see you as the… fishing type." The career-path of an academic was very much a mystery to Ilia as nobody from Ordon village seemed to fit the bill.

"It will never end!" Shad laughed. "There will only be more books, and the occasional presentation or debate once I garner some more critics. I look forward to the occasion."

"Really? It's just that… I thought that there would be a bigger reward for all of this work."

"The reward is of course, to uncover the mystery of the sky. That is my dream," he replied with dead certainty. "I have no use for material gains like money – erm, that is, for frivolous pursuits – or fame. I only wish to traverse the realms of knowledge that we have long forgotten, and to bring them to the attention of ordinary people today. I want to inspire others to follow their passions… though, it would be tempting to omit any mention of my being homeless from any future autobiographies."

Ilia looked at him sideways in response to the odd remark.

"But if you succeeded in spite of that, then wouldn't your story be all the more interesting?"

"Perhaps. I imagine it might also be used to hold people accountable for their life choices," he remarked as they passed the outlandishly cloaked street-performer in front of the star tent, posing for his adoring fans. The farm girl never knew what to make of these kookier city types but she found them entertaining all the same.

"Besides passing on your knowledge, you also want to see it for yourself, right? The… city in the clouds?" she recalled, thinking back to their prior discussions in the bar.

"Yes! Absolutely. And I would very much like to travel Hyrule! I want to see all of it, it's just…" the scholar sighed. "All of this trouble on the roads has shaken my resolve to leave town anytime soon. And with things the way they are at the moment, the Resistance is a full-time effort."

"At least if you're living on base, you'll be the first to receive any kind of good news on the situation in Hyrule," Ilia considered. "And if things in town ever return to normal… you'll know that you've made a difference."

"Indeed. I want more than anything to finish my work but… I also have the feeling that it's all connected. I believe that the ancient ones could explain the current disturbances in Hyrule."

"Ashei believes it too."

"That's right – she…" the scholar blinked. "She inferred as much on the night that the barrier appeared. That something lies at the centre of all of these events. In time, we will discover what that is..."

The two continued along the street for some time, lost in thought before Ilia spoke again. "And what happens after _that?_ I plan on returning home once everything is back in place, but… what about you?" she enquired, nudging him gently with the side of her hips.

Shad choked back his surprise. Eventually, he realised that he hadn't looked that far ahead. "With my books published and all the good luck of the goddesses on my side? I suppose I would like to open a college," he concluded. "So that others like me will always have a place."

The younger girl regarded him contentedly as they took the stairs leading to the bar. "That sounds like a good dream to have. I hope you get there someday, Shad."

"You are very kind to say so, my lady."

Upon entering the bar Telma greeted the barmaid and the scholar with one of her trademark smiles, though she were sympathetic in her tone. "Welcome home," she said to Shad, taking custody of the box in Ilia's hands. "That study in the room upstairs is all yours to do what you like with. Looks like it'll never be a dull moment with both of you here!"

"I shall do my best not to impose on either of you more than necessary," he apologised.

"Nonsense! We are better equipped with you here. And my hands are already so full with the bar – you'd be an asset to the others when they need you," the bejewelled redhead beamed in response. "I mean it, honey. Welcome aboard."

The old friends shook each other's hands in a newfound accord.

Shad couldn't help feeling amused by how easily Telma had managed to cheer him up. She certainly had the gift of being able to reach into others and bring their optimism out, on their own terms. But he also knew that she was _just_ as gifted when it came to striking fear into the heart of any unruly man, or beast. Such was the life of a veteran bartender.

"I won't disappoint you, Telma. If either of you need anything, I will be ever ready to assist."

Upon adding the final box to the study, the proprietress surveyed the room just once before returning to the hall. To Shad's relief most of the room was already in order, comprised of a clear work desk surrounded by bookcases, minimal floral display and row of lanterns above the doorway. "I'll leave you to your unpacking," Telma winked. "Though, you really should feel ashamed of yourself for making Ilia work on her day off…"

"I-I tried to stop her!" the scholar protested as the older woman retreated to the bar. "Oh, I hope you don't think me rude! We've done nothing but carry my effects, and talk about my books and failing career all day."

"I wanted to help!" Ilia argued, shaking her head. "If there's any little thing I can do for the Resistance in my free time, then I'll do it. You and Telma have been my friends in all of this."

The scholar looked genuinely frustrated as he put a hand to his forehead, brow knotted. "… Then I fear I have been a terrible friend. I never stopped to ask how you've fared without Link. It has been some time since you saw each other last, yes?"

"I…" Ilia swallowed. More than anything, she'd wanted an end to worrying the people around her. "I know he's doing okay… and I'll be fine here, until he returns. It's just that… it's been a while and he hasn't shown up. I was sure he'd come to the bar sooner after Telma invited him."

"It sounds like he holds you in high regard. And if it isn't too bold to say so, I believe that he will make an entrance soon. So much is happening in the world, he must be relieved to know that you are safe for the time being."

The younger girl smiled at the words, though her eyes betrayed a lingering sadness for the swordsman. "… He was seriously hurt… when the monsters came and attacked our village. I thought that was the end of him. But without having to worry about me, or Colin, or any of us, I know that he can give his best."

"So, you worry that you might be a burden?" Shad concluded before raising a hand over his mouth in shock at the harshness of his remark. Before he could apologise, the barmaid continued. "Shad, I nearly got him killed… it could've easily happened again if our emergency trip to Kakariko went wrong."

The scholar noticed that Ilia was looking down to the floor, her head tilted away in an effort not to cry. Without thinking, he put his hands on her shoulders, bending to meet her eye-level. "It is because of _you_ – and every one of the children from your village – that he can give his best. Ask him yourself. I am sure you will be surprised by the answer."

"I… I really hope so… I just want him to know that we can be there for him too…"

"The Resistance will also be there, certainly. No hazing rituals required," he joked. Shad took a step back from the sombre girl and then looked to the windows, feeling more grateful than ever that Telma's Bar faced away from the castle. For a moment, he wondered what boundaries might have existed between them. Whether it might have been more _principled_ to give space to their charge - a young girl, traumatised and alone in their mess of a city. However, in all of his interactions with Ilia... he had observed a person who thrived off the company of others. She was missing her home, that much was clear.

He thought to remedy that in a manner he might've appreciated in her position.

"It's… approaching sundown. I don't suppose you would like to come and see it from the roof?" Shad offered.

"From where?" Ilia sniffed, wiping her eyes and wearing a new expression of amusement.

"It is actually _startlingly_ easy to climb up there from this window," he explained with a wink. "I, uh… I only know this because Ashei showed me. It's where she likes to go when she wants to escape the bar. Unless of course, you would like to enjoy the rest of your afternoon doing anything else. I would not be offended-"

"Oh, no… I'd like that! Really, I would," she smiled. "The city is so beautiful from up here, I'm going to miss it when I return home. And besides, you're… a good person to talk to. It reminds me a little of when I'd get to spend time with Link."

"I am so glad to hear it."

Shad opened the study window to the heavy guttering and tiling of the roof, drenched in the orchid hues of the late afternoon. Mirroring her smile, he extended his hand to Ilia in support.

* * *

The night crowd of the bar had dissipated into all but one or two customers on their last drink. Telma was busy polishing glasses behind the counter while Ilia slept upstairs. In the half-drawn curtained room beside the serving area were Auru and Rusl, holding their own quiet conversation about the bridge of Eldin, as Shad read quietly in the corner. After a string of relatively peaceful days, the scholar was finally able to make up for some of the time he'd lost on last week's escapades. But – by the seemingly chaotic will of the goddesses – it was not to last.

As the final customer took their leave from the bar, the door caught open mid-swing, revealing the obsidian-haired warrior girl of the north. The dim light of the bar glanced off her gauntlets as she flipped the door sign to 'closed.'

"There you are!" Telma called out to her with an expectant grin.

Ashei wandered into the main concourse of the bar and joined the Resistance at their meeting table, gathering their attention wordlessly.

"You were away longer than expected," Rusl observed. "Is everything alright?"

"Ashei, you look…" Shad placed his book down, realising that he couldn't quite place the emotion on her face. "Are you… forgive me but, are you… _pleased?"_

"Zora's Domain has been restored," she announced. After gauging the shocked expressions of the others in the room, she continued. "I thought I'd hit my head on something when I saw the Zoras back in the marketplace. And they were doing fine! They said their prince had returned to them and that the river was flowing again."

"Goddesses! And you've been keeping this good news to yourself?" Rusl laughed.

"I had to see it for myself to believe it, yeah? Would've taken the west road but the Zoras took me there directly, up the river."

"You mean to tell us that you've spent the last couple of days gallivanting about the riverside with the Zoras, while the rest of us hold things down here?" Shad said in jest.

"Were any of them handsome, honey? Did you get to ride on their shoulders?" Telma added playfully.

"There was a BOAT involved!" she scowled, fighting the urge to throw something at the scholar for starting it. "And everything I do is for our cause! You'd better not forget that, unless you want a revisit of last week on your face."

"Oh Ashei, you are so easily riled," he confessed, stifling a laugh at her expense. "But really – this is marvellous news. We could not ask for a better improvement of morale."

"Please forgive the humorous comments, our laughter is few and far between in such times," Auru mediated, though he also found himself unable to contain his amusement. "Thank you for your work, Ashei," Rusl said, with a nod of sincerity. "We do appreciate the good news."

"Indeed. I will gladly factor this into our latest report – boat included, of course."

"I didn't do much but yeah, you're all _welcome,"_ the warrior bit back, though she were visibly elated.

"Did the Zoras have any… further insight as to why the river might have thawed?" Auru enquired.

Ashei thought for a moment, back to her observations of the waterfall basin. "They were convinced that it was all to do with Prince Ralis. You know, the kid you and Ilia ran to Kakariko," she began, looking to Telma. "But unless he has some kind of magical influence over the domain, I just can't imagine how that would be the case. The weather was like the difference between night and day."

"Unless, something else in the area changed," Auru commented. "There are… mysterious forces at work, here. The old powers may not be relinquishing their hold on the land so easily."

"What of the rest of you, then?" Ashei asked, looking mostly to her older colleagues. They tended to do all of the travelling while Shad stayed in the city. "Did you uncover anything about the Bridge of Eldin?"

But before either of the men could answer her the door knocked twice, loudly.

"Hello?" came a muffled voice from the other side. Everybody in the room looked to each other in confusion before the handle turned, although nobody noticed the excited look on Telma's face as she threw her dishcloth to the table.

"Telma, Ilia?" the voice rang again, clearly belonging to a male.

"Bar's closed," Ashei said coldly, before she turned to see an athletic younger man standing in the doorway. "Oh. It's… _you."_ Her last word was emphasised without malice and she fell silent, her attention locked onto the hero's tunic.

"Sorry to interrupt – I'm friends with the owner…" he trailed off, glancing around the room. Link felt himself at the mercy of several sets of intelligent eyes that seemed to be sizing him up for any sign of weakness. In secret, he wondered if any part of him had actually remained cursed in wolf form – like a stray tail or whisker that had failed to dissipate in the light.

The room carried an intensity that seemed to suggest that they had been waiting for him, despite the fact that he had little idea who they were. "I don't believe I booked any performers for tonight! Even so, you're incredibly late," Telma finally joked, grabbing the attention of the bewildered stranger. "What took you so long, honey?"

The fluffy white cat perched upon one of the bar stools jumped to the ground and rubbed against the young man's boots in greeting.

"Hey, Telma. I got held up…" Link breathed. "There were, uh… _problems,_ after the disaster in town. But I'm here now."

Shad and Ashei looked to each other in unison.

"Well, Link honey, we're glad to have you here. We could use the extra set of hands, as well as those radiant eyes of yours!"

Meanwhile, the scholar had drifted into full internal-panic mode, hoping not to catch the attention of the swordsman as he came to grips with the situation. Was this some elaborate prank played upon him by the universe? Could this man really be the exceedingly talented contact Telma had informed them of, _as well as_ Ilia's best friend?

Even so, the scholar had a difficult time picturing the new recruit tearing up monsters on the battlefield. His face seemed too gentle, for a start. But there was something _else_ about him that seemed to convey… a sense of danger. Like whatever one saw on the outside was only a fragment of the full picture – and the other parts lay hidden in shadow.

"I… I…" Shad rose to his feet, at a loss for words.

'Oh, no.'

"Then I guess you're the friends Telma wrote to me about? It's nice to meet you all," the hero addressed, though he held himself casually. "I'm Link."

"I'll leave you all to it for now, there's plenty to catch up on. And they won't bite you darling, I promise," Telma assured him, before throwing a stern look to the Resistance table. She then turned around and returned to work behind the bar.

Upon noticing the helmeted swordsman in the corner, Link's expression shifted from one that was mildly flustered to perplexed. He strode over to the meeting table - ignoring the others - and then leaned in front of Rusl, who kept suspiciously quiet. After tapping him on the shoulder, he finally spoke. "… It has been a long time, my friend."

"Rusl…?"

And then, the helmet came off. The two men beamed at each other in excitement.

"Rusl! I _knew_ it was you!" Link laughed, locking arms with him into a handshake. "What are you doing here?"

"These are my peers, Link. We call ourselves the Resistance and we've been working together to bring peace to Hyrule. Of course, that now includes you."

"Finally in your secret club, then?" the younger of the two joked, fighting off a hair-ruffle.

"You've grown up in your own right," Rusl confided. "You should think of me as your partner in this endeavour, rather than a teacher or mentor. Even so, we could all learn a thing or two from each other."

The older swordsman's comment had really brought home the extent to which Link had seen himself change. The two warriors were a long way from swinging swords in practice in the forest grove. The young hero was also perceptive of the fact that his hometown had already given him all the responsibilities of an adult. Yet, it paled in comparison to the burden that was placed on his shoulders now. Knowing that Rusl had undertaken much of this fight alone only reinforced his respect for the older man.

"Master Link?" Auru enquired next, extending his hand. "I hope that you will forgive my terrible rudeness toward you on the street. My name is Auru. We are all very fortunate to have you on board, you have done great things for this land of ours."

Link shook his hand and smiled back at the older man, graciously. "Ah, it's good to meet you properly, sir – Auru, I mean…"

Shad wanted to curse at his past self for letting his impulsiveness ruin this situation. Of course, they all knew that this was _not_ their first meeting… but Auru's words only confirmed the awkwardness of the scene before him. He would need to own up to disparaging this younger man apart on the street and laughing at him in front of his colleagues. Worse still, he was next in the circle to catch the hero's gaze.

"… Uhhh… H… Hello-"

"It's Ashei," the warrior intervened, cutting in front of the scholar and extending her hand to their new friend. Shad hadn't missed the look that she shot at him over her shoulder, as though she delighted in the prospect of him introducing himself last. Link shook her hand with a tentative smile. He'd noticed the hidden strength in Ashei's grip and came to the conclusion that her amour obscured a very powerful form, despite her slim build.

"You're really Link, then?" she said, brusquely.

"Y-Yes! I'm sorry if I'm not what you were expecting…" he replied, maintaining a courteous tone. Shad had noticed that these Ordon types were very much on the modest side, despite the fact that they seemed to be tangled in all the chaos of Hyrule.

"… I didn't mean to sass you like that the other day, yeah? I just figured that the hero get-up was a joke. But I see that you've got the skill and the valour to back it up, so you can wear whatever the hell you want around here. We'll be the idiots for assuming otherwise," she smirked.

For a person who hated small exchanges with other people, the scholar had to hand it to her – Ashei's directness could be charming when she wanted it to be. Though, he was still unequivocally furious at her for stealing his moment to apologise.

"Oh well, uh, thank you…! I don't think you're idiots, though-"

"I see that you are all beacons of Hyrule Castle Town's famed hospitality," Rusl commented, looking around the room. "What in the blazes did you _do_ to him?"

Shad swallowed before it was his turn to speak, now very anxious of the prospect of confrontation with the curiously armed man. "… Hello, L-Link… I am… uh – my name is Shad. I am dreadfully sorry for the uncivilised remarks I made in your presence," he began with a heavy voice. "You must think me a complete and utter snob…"

"It's nice to meet you. You don't need to apolo-"

"I have behaved _terribly!"_ the scholar continued, lifting a hand to his forehead. "And I do so hope that you will accept a drink as reparation for my comments…?"

Link blinked at the gesture, not wanting to further offend the impassioned man. Thinking back to the night in question, he couldn't recall feeling _particularly_ spurned by the odd group. He'd exhausted so much of his mental energy worrying for Ilia that their comments had mostly rolled off of him like water off a duck's back. However, the swordsman could see that it had caused some clear discomfort amongst the Resistance now - who were only too eager to make amends and to share their expertise with him.

In an effort to avoid any embarrassment, he answered. "… Um yes, that's nice of you to offer. Thanks…?"

Telma, upon overhearing this part of the conversation, wandered over to the swordsman gave him another one of her analytical gazes. Her aura was definitely favourable this time but the gesture ended with her shaking her head. "Hmm, no dice honey. He's just a little too young for that. But I'll tell you what – come by on your next birthday and we'll sort you out."

"A coffee, then? I shall make it myself," Shad offered before dashing behind the bar, much to Telma's surprise.

"It's okay – I didn't mean to inconvenience anyone. I just wanted to introduce myself-"

"I've heard you're good with a bow and arrow," Ashei prompted. Her eyes combed over the weapons he had strapped to the back of the Hylian shield, though he blushed at first, unsure of what she was looking at. "Oh, I… mostly just try to stay alive, I guess," Link laughed, with only his shadow as witness to the close calls he'd experienced. "It works in a pinch, when I need it. Do you have one?"

The warrior shook her head before pulling something heavy out of the bag she kept by the table. "It's a crossbow," she said, simply. "Wouldn't say I'm the best, either… but it works."

"It's a necessity for using the roads, no?" Auru conceded.

Before the conversation could fall into a lull, the scholar returned with a scorching cup of liquid in the confines of a ceramic tumbler. "Here you are, old boy. Please accept this with my most sincere apologies." Link looked down at the beverage with some bewilderment and sniffed it with caution. It certainly wasn't like any drink from home but if consuming it was going to put the scholar at ease, then the swordsman was absolutely prepared to do it.

"Thank you, Shad," he finally smiled, taking a startling sip of the new flavour.

"I don't know how I ever managed without it! Though I must warn you, it is rather addictive," Rusl advised.

"Y-You don't mean to tell me that you've… never had coffee before?" the scholar gasped.

"Uh… no, it's not something that we grew. I have heard that it keeps you awake, but I haven't needed anything to help with that, so far..." Link admitted with a half-smile. Shad didn't want to be elitist but this young man from the country was almost too wholesome to be real.

However, in spite of this characteristic, it seemed he had no problem journeying to every dangerous corner of the world and using _multiple_ weapons to utterly decimate Hyrule's monsters. He was thrown by how different they were – an insanely gifted, athletic man and an eccentric researcher – both of which completely flouted cultural norms. If nothing else, it meant for a promising start to Link working with the Resistance.

"Link!" called a familiar voice from the stairs.

He looked up to see Ilia in her nightclothes, blue eyes widening in their vulnerability.

"Ilia! I finally made it back!" The old friends embraced each other with enthusiasm and Link set her down with as much care as he could muster, conscious of the manner in which the room regarded them.

"I'm glad you ended up coming down here darling, I didn't want to wake you," Telma said, smiling at the two.

"Telma, please! It's Link! I'm so glad you're doing okay…" Ilia lamented. "A lot's happened in the town. It started to worry me when you hadn't turned up."

"Yeah, I… I know. Don't worry, I think I'll be able to come and visit you anytime, now."

"… Ilia has conveyed so much to me about you in our conversations," Shad interjected, doing his best to maintain a friendly tone. "It sounds as though you really will be a formidable ally! Though I'm afraid, I'm rather not myself."

The hero looked between the well-groomed academic and his childhood friend, only now realising that these contacts of Telma's were also of her inner-circle. Of course, Link _knew_ that Ilia was part of a new community - but it had been difficult for him to picture after their previous life together in Ordon village. The image of her brushing Epona in the village springs was completely synonymous with home, in his mind.

Part of him ached to return to those days. But he knew that the only way back was for the Twilight King to be destroyed. In other words, it was going to take some time.

"Shad is one of your friends, then?" Link enquired, keeping his tone light.

"Yes! Actually he's just moved in upstairs, so I guess we're roommates now."

"That's right, we're uh, definitely _friends,"_ the scholar affirmed, ever mindful of the younger man's weapons.

"Are you sure about that?" Ashei said breezily in the background. Shad was really living to regret the cheap shots he'd made at her earlier this evening.

To his surprise, Link's vivid blue eyes met directly with his own. His eyelids were languid from a lack of sleep but his overall expression was calm and inquisitive. "In that case, I'm glad I got to meet you," he said serenely. "You've probably been more help than me, lately. I hope you'll continue to be there for Ilia."

"She's in good hands here, no thanks to Telma…" Shad fumbled, crumbling under his gaze.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!"

"Sorry! Though, your Dad's gonna have a couple of choice words for me if I don't check up on you…" the swordsman laughed, nervously.

"You and Ilia are very much a part of my family, at this point." Rusl declared, rising from his seat. "If there is any danger to the town, then she will be my priority on behalf of her father. I swear to it." Any latent stress that might have been visible on the younger swordsman's face softened upon Rusl's declaration. There was simply no way to thank him enough for the peace of mind.

"And if you're worried about creeps in the bar, don't be." Ashei said flatly. "We have a policy here. If anyone asks over the counter for a 'Red Tonic,' we show the troublemaker the way out with a couple of persuasive-"

"Arguments against the vulgarity of their conduct." Shad finished, with a look. The last thing he wanted at this point was to give Link the impression that Ilia was slumming it in the city with a couple of ruffians.

To his relief, the swordsman regarded them both with a newfound zeal.

"I can see why Ilia wanted to stay."

"Those two are a handful, honey!" Telma warned, looking to the warrior and academic. "But if you can get past the sass, they've got a lot to offer. And I'm sure they'll want to stay on your good side. What's next on the agenda?"

"I'm looking for…" Link hesitated, choosing his words carefully under the scrutiny of a certain benefactor. "… For areas of corruption. And I want to find the cause, wherever it may lead."

"Then you'll want to go to desert," Auru announced to the room.


	8. Three for Playing Games

**Chapter 8 – Three for Playing Games**

Saturday mornings often gave way to the busiest daylight hours at the bar, attracting a mixture of social cohorts on their day off and several hung-over patrons who stumbled into the establishment, fresh out of bed.

While Telma and Ilia had found themselves in the thick of the activity, most of the other Resistance members were nowhere to be seen. After last night's meeting, Auru had departed for the desert with plans to meet Link in two days. At the same time, Rusl sought to make use of the local blacksmith before chasing information on the Bridge of Eldin and Ashei was on her way out for the Snowpeak foothills.

"Be safe out there, honey," Telma called out to her pointedly, over the bar.

"How exciting, you're going to the snow!"

The warrior sighed in response to Ilia's remark but her face wore a set smile, hiding her fatigue. "Won't be going up there for a bit, I just need to talk to the locals. Be back soon." And with the swing of the door, she was gone.

Meanwhile, to the side of the room were Link and Shad in the midst of their own conversation. In the face of last night's awkward meeting, the scholar was ever determined to turn things around and accompanied the young hero from the moment he'd risen out of bed – much to the entertainment of Ilia. "Losing Hyrule Castle and any sign of our Princess is a catastrophe, of course… but to also lose the Royal Family archives? To have so much of our history and culture in the hands of some… some…"

"Bastard?" Link finished for him, bristling for the first time in Shad's presence. For a split second the younger man's features were rendered sharper – his eyes, somehow darkened – but it disappeared as quickly as one might have glimpsed it.

 _"Yes!_ My thoughts exactly! Whoever he or she happens to be, I wonder if they have ever been robbed of the knowledge of their people? I could not wish such a thing onto anyone!"

Link was immediately reminded of Midna – who seemed to have lost much more than a library. Her resolve went beyond the disposition of the usurper king: she wanted him completely and utterly destroyed. And despite the recent loss of Princess Zelda playing in the back of his mind, he was forced to press onward – cursed as only person in Hyrule with this knowledge.

"I have a plan to take the castle back," he said in a low voice.

"You… you _do?"_ Shad exclaimed in bewilderment.

"But I can't… explain it to anyone."

"Forgive me but… that does sound incredibly vague," the scholar smiled. His manner never wavered from friendly but the younger man was so full of ambiguity, he made for a strange ally. One less courteous might have found him frustrating on some level. "You said something about finding the sources of corruption then, correct?"

Link nodded in response, inwardly cringing at the fact that he would be navigating this entire crusade by keeping the others in the dark. "Look, if… if nothing else, it'll help. You don't have anything to lose from working with me, and I'll be out of your way, most of the time…"

"There is no question as to _whether_ we will help you. My concern is with the 'how.' Though, if we were to collaborate on eliminating the problems outside of the castle, then eventually we could concentrate on that part alone," Shad surmised, clasping his hands together on the table. "Not that I am complaining, mind you. Your plan seems to fit into our prior theories regarding this war. So, what is it that you require of us in this endeavour?"

"Information, mostly. But I can help you all in return – if you need my sword anywhere, just say the word."

"I pray that my information will be worth such a thing!" the scholar laughed. "A one-man army? No coin in town could buy that."

"You don't have to worry about that, I mean…" the younger man trailed off, fidgeting with the glove on his left hand. "If anyone needed me, I would be there. I know we've just met but that includes you, Shad."

The gesture was welcome and it hadn't been made lightly, as Link appeared to be carrying a lot on his shoulders. Perhaps so much, that he preferred to keep it all to himself. But the scholar frowned and looked to the table, drumming his fingers along one of his notebooks. "I am… trying not to make a habit out of relying on others as much as I have. You are such a strong and capable person, I suppose we are rather the opposite in that regard."

"Cut that out!" Telma interrupted, throwing a look across the tavern. Shad nearly jumped out of his skin in response, wondering whether the room had ears on her behalf. "Don't mind him, honey. He's just doing his best impersonation of the down-on-their-luck men who drop by here in the evenings…"

"I-I do apologise… I'm quite certain that you didn't come here to listen to my rambling," he chuckled, finishing the rest of his drink.

"It's fine, really," Link smiled. "I know we're not really friends yet but… if there's anything I can do to make it better?"

Shad raised his eyebrows in amazement, needing to reassure himself of the handsome young man that was looking back at him with such calm. His offer again was so earnest, that Shad knew of no other to compare him to. And despite his best efforts to make things up to the swordsman, he was struck down once again by Link's natural ability to comfort the people around him. After a brief pause, he replied. "… Your decorum is rather inspiring. That alone is enough, I think."

In response, the swordsman bumped him lightly on the shoulder. "Ilia told me about her first day here. She was so frightened before you arrived. You're a good person, it doesn't matter if you can't use a sword or whatever – you're just as important as anyone else. And you're also… really smart," he laughed, a little too self-consciously.

Shad blushed at the compliment before he could recall the rest. Link's words resonated with everything that Telma had instilled into him, in addition to Ashei's concern for his research. He came to the conclusion that he owed it to them, at least, to push on, as fearlessly as possible. "I'll certainly do my best to live up to your expectations," he murmured, glowing with approval.

"It looks like you two are getting along!" Ilia had made herself known after observing the two men from behind Link's shoulder. Her green eyes brimmed back at them with amusement. "Sorry, Shad! It's so busy this morning! But here's your order, finally…" she said before placing another coffee at the scholar's side. "Would you like anything, Link?"

"I… might have one too, please. If you wouldn't mind?" he enquired, looking to the academic. "I'd like to know more about your group."

"Certainly not. In fact, I would treasure the opportunity to converse with you some more."

"Ilia, you should join them too while Link's here," Telma offered from behind the bar.

"But Telma, I shouldn't. It's so busy!"

"How do you think I managed this place all by myself?" she winked. "Go, on! Make the most of your morning."

The barmaid hid her elation as she placed her tray on the adjacent table and pulled up a chair, adjusting her apron in the process. It felt incredibly bizarre to be situated between the swordsman and the scholar, both of whom appeared to be polar opposites with only her in common, yet watching them together had only made her optimistic about their friendship. She thanked Telma in passing as she brought them another two drinks, on the house. Though the older woman preferred to keep things running in the background, their union had also meant for a rather eventful morning from her perspective.

"I was just about to ask Shad about the Resistance," Link explained.

"Oh, I find myself still learning about them, even now," Ilia admitted, looking to Shad on her right. "We could always turn it into a game…?"

"What sort of game do you propose?" The scholar was grateful for the levity that seemed to accompany the two Ordonians, in contrast to the more sullen city-types surrounding them in the tavern.

"Well… sort of like a 'getting to know you' game, where we take turns listing facts about ourselves. And maybe you can fill in the gaps for anyone who isn't here?"

"I'll give it a shot…" Link replied. "Shad?"

"I am game, if you are."

Ilia was popular with the children from her village for a reason – she knew how to turn even the most mundane tasks such as collecting firewood into a fun challenge between friends. And in her experience, even the adults enjoyed some manner of sport, even if it meant doing the extra work involved in presenting the better harvest. "Okay then, let's start with the following! Your name, favourite colour, favourite animal, one strength and one fear. It'll be like we're strangers again," she smiled, ticking the categories off with her fingers.

Link laughed at the prospect of inadvertently telling everyone at the table that he was a wolf. "Well, it was nice playing with you both…" he said with a half-smile, standing up to leave the table. Ilia grabbed his wrist and pulled him down as quickly as he'd done it.

"I'll go first," she offered. "My name is Ilia! Previously, Liza…" she continued, looking in jest to the scholar. "My favourite colour is light green, the colour of pastures. My favourite animal is the deer, I'm good at horse-riding and I'm scared of spiders."

"You didn't pick horses?" Link interrupted.

"I don't have to," Ilia corrected. "I love working with horses but that doesn't mean they're my favourite."

"But… but you _love_ Epona!"

Shad found himself amused by the fact that one best friend was betrayed by the other due to their choice of answer.

The swordsman frowned at Ilia before he decided to take his turn with the questions. "… I'm Link. My favourite colour is dark green… like the colour of the forest. My favourite animal is the _wolf,_ I'm good at dodging attacks and I'm… afraid of not having my feet on the ground," he said, suppressing a shudder at the horrifying levels of vertigo he'd endured in the Goron Mines.

"See? You didn't pick horses, either!"

"It's _different_ – a lot's happened since I left town!" he grinned, baitedly.

"Now, now, there can be no incorrect answers…" the scholar intervened. Upon realising that it was his turn, he took a moment to map out his response. "My name is Shad. My favourite colour is nightshade purple, my favourite animal is the owl, I am fluent in Old Hylian, Gerudo and Zoran and I'm… deathly afraid of failure…!" he laughed, in spite of himself.

"Oh, here we go! You had to go and bring up my number one fear..." Link confessed, grabbing the back of his neck.

"Yes, Shad! We're trying to keep this fun!"

"My apologies, once again…" the scholar smirked, "… that my answer appears to be _too_ real for you to handle."

"What do you think about Ashei, Telma and Auru?" Ilia contemplated with excitement. Link then looked to him, intrigued. Shad stifled a groan at the difficulty of the assignment. "Heavens, you _had_ to pick two of the most unreadable people I know."

"We already know Rusl," Link added with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Favourite colour, gold; animal, fox. Best axe-thrower of our village and scared of leaving our home vulnerable to attack."

The scholar sighed in defeat, though he couldn't help but feel entertained by the speedy analysis of his colleague. With a poorly hidden smile, he exclaimed, "I fear that you will end up making me look bad for not having done my homework, in comparison!"

"Just give it a go," Ilia beamed at him.

"I suppose. We should start with the easiest," he conceded, gesturing to the proprietress across the counter.

"Telma's favourite colour…"

"Oh, that's a tricky one," the barmaid said, glancing over the older woman with a puzzled expression. Telma wore several different colours but was most commonly garbed in black, white and purple, with prominent gold jewellery. In addition, her face was accented by a variety of jewels in red, purple and green. Ilia had gotten the impression that she had dressed very vibrantly in her youth, going off of her brassiere - and that the toned-down shades were reflective of her later wisdom in some manner.

"Perhaps it is something bright and complimentary to her manner, like sunset vermilion," the scholar began. "Her favourite animal is her cat, of course. She is also devilishly good at cards, and… she is afraid of… of…" Shad looked around the room for any clue that would elucidate the mystery, before his eyes settled on the framed pictograph above the fireplace. "… Being alone," he whispered, keeping his voice low enough to avoid her potential wrath.

Ilia seemed to hum in agreement while Link looked to them both in confusion.

"But I thought that… her and Renado seemed to really –"

"Get along well, yes. And also just as well without each other," the barmaid said in her own hushed tones, before she reached under the table and kicked the naïve swordsman in the leg.

 _"Ow!_ What was that for?!"

"Please, let us _drop this subject_ before we get into serious trouble…!" Shad paled, his gaze flickering over to the bar once again. He was relieved to find no sign of the bar owner having overheard their scandalous conversation.

"Who's next then?" Link asked, rubbing his shins with confusion. "Your friend, Ashei," Ilia offered, moving the conversation along.

"Ah – yes…" The scholar took another momentary pause, fingers knotted together in thought, before trying his hand at the mystery that was their femme fatale of the wilds. Though it might have seemed to Ilia that the two of them were good friends, especially given that they were closer in age, the truth was that Shad had never dared to ask Ashei for many details of her past. And whether it was out of some misplaced sense of courtesy, she had never ventured to do the same beyond the realm of his studies. The two had maintained a working relationship that was – for the most part – supportive, though as of late it occasionally veered into adversarial territory. Shad couldn't help but suspect that this was either a form of entertainment or frustration for the rest of their colleagues.

"Perhaps… the colour of crimson," he began.

"That's funny, the first thing I thought of was black. Like her horse – or her hair," Ilia speculated.

"You're both listing colours that she wears," Link pointed out. "I mean, I guess I picked green, but…"

"It is definitely a red, I think. A darker, subdued red," the scholar said, decidedly.

"Oh, I think that would really suit her in a dress!"

"Indeed. If she cared for such things, I imagine it would be very beautiful."

The younger girl shot a cryptic smile his way before he hurried onward in his analysis, glazing over the compliment. "Favourite animal… perhaps a bear," he then laughed. "She is excellent at…" The word 'everything' immediately came to mind, with the exception of public speaking and manners. And perhaps, holding her temper. "Making jokes with a serious face, and having other people believe her," he settled. "And she has an aversion to crowds and confined spaces."

"Ugh, I hate small spaces, too," Link admitted, recalling some of the narrow underwater passages of the Lakebed Temple.

"It must be an adventurer thing," Ilia added before she'd pinched him on the arm.

"What've you got on Auru? I'm meant to be meeting him in a couple of days."

"Ah… another difficult one!" Shad took a contemplative sip of coffee before concluding the game on their wiser counter-part's behalf. Before today, he hadn't necessarily thought to involve himself in the lives of their more undecipherable companions, but today's antics had certainly piqued his interest in the finer details of their personalities. "If I had to pick the colour, I would say… something cool, like grey, the colour of steel. For the animal, I would pick the crow. He is gifted at blending in with various types of people – never revealing his cards, of course – and he fears…"

The young swordsman seemed to lean in at the prospect of what was to come next.

"… Nothing?" the scholar concluded before the three of them laughed.

"Nothing that you've seen, anyway," Ilia said amusedly.

"This is true, though I feel if he were to betray such a thing, the world would finally end."

"Everyone has their limit…" Link defended playfully, doing his best to suppress a rush of adrenaline upon the realisation that he'd come so close to losing Ilia. That the two of them could enjoy this morning together felt like a blessing. Part of him wondered if _all_ of her memories were really there, and whether the traumas played in her mind as they did in his – but now was certainly not the time to bring it up.

"Will you be meeting Auru at the desert, then?" she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"At Lake Hylia, actually. He said that there was some way out to the desert from the water basin… but I was there kind of recently and I honestly don't know where he means."

Shad's glasses seemed to obscure his eyes as he smirked. "Yes, well… _do_ let me know how that goes, won't you?"

"It's been great meeting everyone and checking in on the town but I'll have to get packing for the road, pretty soon," Link said, looking absently into his coffee cup.

"Does that require a lot of effort on your part?"

"Not really. I could be out from the nearest town for several days at a time but as long as I've got the usual weapon supplies; bombs and arrows, and healing supplies, I'm good."

"There is a potions shop nearby," Ilia suggested upon recalling one of her morning walks.

"Oh, yeah, potions are _great._ I've also… been trying my hand at brewing my own on the road…" Link's blue eyes glinted mischievously at this revelation. He gauged the reactions of the other two - who were either very shocked or very impressed.

"You mean like the ones Sera used to concoct at home?"

"Yeah! Except that mine sometimes end up sort of… weird. Probably because we're so far out of the Ordona region and I don't know what all the materials do, yet!" he laughed, withholding the fact that he also carried a back-up fairy at all times.

"So in other words, you need to _go out and buy some."_ Ilia said flatly.

"We could accompany you if you'd like?" Shad offered. "I would like to hear more about the dubious realities of potion-brewing in the wilds."

"It sounds like I don't have a choice." Link hazarded a glance at Ilia who was positively annoyed at his recklessness. He knew before he could open his mouth that he had been defeated. "Alright, then! Let's go!"


	9. Written in the Sky

**AN:** This summer has been absolutely crazy busy for me but I'm back to get this rolling again! Thanks for waiting!

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – Written in the Sky**

With Link, Ashei and Auru gone for the week, the bar's atmosphere had grown suspiciously quiet with only the meandering presence of its usual patrons to disrupt the peace. Telma and Ilia worked hard through the nights, leaving only Rusl in the scholar's company – but it appeared that even this was not to last.

"Are you on your way out, too?" the scholar enquired absent-mindedly from the foyer, turning the pages of a journal alongside one of his main texts.

"I won't be going far," the middle-aged man pledged. "If anything were to happen I'm the only one here, armed."

The two men cast their attention to Ilia who was some distance away over the counter. She happened to be in the middle of saying something that made Telma laugh and throw her apron over the younger girl's head. Shad also made a quick assessment of his colleague's weapons and wondered just for a moment what it might be like to hold that kind of responsibility over an entire town. There was no shortage of talent in the Resistance ranks, it seemed.

"Y-Yes, of course..."

"Ideally, I shouldn't even be allowed to leave the building," Rusl admitted with a short laugh, recalling the Ordonian mayor with some reverence. He'd been conducting his own correspondence with Bo, unbeknownst to Link and Ilia, who happened to be the main subject of his letters. "However, your presence gives me the confidence to do so, Shad. Just don't… tell anyone who doesn't need to know."

"Your secret is safe with me," the younger man winked in reply. "Although, I cannot fathom why my presence would make you feel better about this situation… uh, specifically."

"Because, my friend, I'd have a hard time believing that any harm is going to come to Ilia with you around."

This caused Shad to nearly choke in surprise, snapping his journal shut in the process. "Are you quite serious? With the way that Ilia wrangles some of the customers, she should be regarded as _my_ protector."

Rusl did little to hide his approval at this remark, for the fact that it meant the return of Ilia's strong-headedness. She'd always looked like a gentle girl on the outside but beneath was her father's trademark grit and stubbornness. "I wouldn't doubt either of you in a pinch. But truly – you have the bravery of any swordsman. So I would trust in that, should the time ever come..."

Before Shad could protest, the door gently clicked shut.

"And that was the last time anybody tried to steal our town's signature recipe for – oh, Shad, are you leaving too?" Ilia looked up from the counter to see the vaguely distracted scholar watching her from the other side of the room, halfway up the staircase. He blinked rapidly, severing the connection as he did his best to recover.

"Y-Yes, I will be retiring for the night… but as always, I will be here if you need anything," he announced. Though it might have been an ordinary time for one to go to bed, more often than not 'retiring' meant staying up for another couple of hours, buried into one of his books. Shad knew that he'd gotten carried away again, whenever he witnessed the morning sun pulling back the shroud of night.

"I don't think this place has been so peaceful in weeks," Telma observed in a tone that wasn't particularly disapproving. She'd placed a hand on her hip.

"Forgive me for saying so, but that isn't such a bad thing. I have more than caught up on my workload."

"Oh, I'll bet you have. Especially without Ashei here."

The scholar threw his head back and laughed rather heartily for someone whose manners were normally so refined. "You make it sound like we're more of a hindrance working together than not. Though, I will not deny the truth of your words."

"Actually, I think you two make a great team…" Ilia beamed. "You're the opposite of each other. Even Link needs someone grounded to pull him back at times."

"I do not know if either of us would qualify as 'grounded,'" Shad sighed. "In any case, I will work on… de-escalation…"

Ashei had clearly been feeling stressed and overwhelmed – 'powerless,' she'd admitted – which seemed out of character for her. Since then, whatever awkwardness had remained between the two was slowly being 'diffused' through a series of jokes and opportunities for ridicule. Introspectively, this was easy to see. But stopping it was another matter. It didn't help that the warrior's disposition was naturally contentious.

"This is why I wanted to recruit Link all along, he knows how to play nicely," Telma elucidated with a smirk. _"You_ two could learn from that."

'Too nicely,' Shad thought to himself, wondering if he would ever get to see the monster that he seemed to be reputable for on the battlefield. The afternoon he'd spent with Link and Ilia only added to his curiosity. He couldn't ignore that something was definitely not adding up… but until he could win Link's trust, they would be operating some arm's length away. It was strange but the scholar found himself sharing Ilia's concern that they were in fact being kept to the sidelines, as the storm raged beyond the city.

"He is certainly a model student. You've succeeded in shaming us all, Telma. In any case, I wish you both goodnight and I shall join you both tomorrow."

"Goodnight, then!" Ilia sang out after him.

Upon settling into the study upstairs, Shad gazed out of the windows and onto the street where he'd hoped to catch Rusl in the middle of whatever mysterious quest he'd embarked on. But after a reasonable amount of idle time, the scholar settled once again into his work desk and switched materials. It was definitely going to be one of those nights filled with compromises for 'just five more minutes.'

* * *

The sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs did little to stir the young man who had since passed out onto the table, the surrounding lanterns burning low in the early morning. He mumbled as the door swung open. And then immediately jolted awake, upon hearing the enormous – _THUNK_ – of heavy stone upon the wooden table next to his head.

"WHAT - _in all the realms-?"_

"Morning. Take a look at this."

Shad adjusted his glasses and shot a glare at the taunting figure before him. The warrior smiled back at him, rather smugly. Ashei had been scarce lately and they'd only just noted her absence at the bar, yet here she was now, fresh from the mountain.

"What are you doing here?!" the scholar chided, looking profoundly annoyed as he fixed his appearance. "Dear Farore. Could you have at least _knocked?"_

"Nice to see you, too. And I did knock. I was gonna wait until breakfast but Ilia was just about to leave you this…" she explained, now placing a fresh cup of tea next to the frazzled scholar. "So, it gave me an excuse to come in."

"Ilia was… checking on me?" he mumbled in disbelief, glancing outside to see the first pastel hues in the sky. "… And… you… _you dropped a rock onto my desk?"_

"It's an artefact. I thought you of all people would've had the mind to appreciate it. At least pick it up. If I dragged this thing down for nothing, I'll be dropping it on you, next."

Shad yawned before throwing an oddly defiant look at the armoured woman. "Could you even _imagine_ the wrath rained down upon anybody stupid enough to wake you in such a manner?"

"I know," Ashei laughed softly. "Good thing you're a well-read historian with everything riding on Hyrule's ancient past."

With a heavy sigh, the scholar finally obliged and lifted the slab off of the table. It was about the size of a head and weighed like a sheet of metal. But what caught his attention were the series of carvings that ran along a column, alien-looking in comparison to Hyrule's common script, yet artistic enough to compel one to 'read' it. "It… belongs to something bigger, obviously. A building? A monument? And these carvings…"

"It was isolated from a ruin in the basin of the mountains. It looked like they were long abandoned but… according to the locals, there's a mansion nearby that's still intact. Its lights come on at night and the grounds around it are looked after. Weird, huh?"

Shad gasped, slowly letting the life return to him after the nap. "Truly? … Did you happen to go in?"

"The weather was getting sketchy, so no, I wasn't heading any further into the valley. And I didn't want to guess what type of person might be living there without the proper intel, first." Ashei couldn't hide the disappointment on her face but recklessness was not a habit of hers in the field. She preferred to do things incrementally, learning as she went before charging in. Of course, the rules were bent where brawls and assaults in the city were concerned… but in the wild? Anybody who rushed in was just as likely to wind up frozen, crushed, burned, drowned, or any number of other horrible things. Humans were far more easily outmatched than nature.

"That's too bad. I wondered if it might be another student…"

"That's unlikely," she scoffed, flipping her hair. It felt good not to have snow melting off of it for once.

"Oh Ashei, it might have been the perfect opportunity to make a great discovery! Aren't you at least a little more curious?"

"There could just as easily be a pack of monsters or a spirit keeping that place alight."

"Like _that_ is a problem, for you!" The scholar laughed, his mood improving as he sipped the well-rested tea.

"Yeah, right. I'll take you up there next time and _you_ can gamble with your own safety."

"There is no arguing that you're the better candidate for the job. And no decent man could turn _you_ out onto the snow… especially armed like that." Shad raised an eyebrow and nodded at the warrior's sword, which sometimes felt seconds away from being lodged into the nearest piece of furniture.

Ashei exhaled sharply in response, unused to any manner of chivalry in her line of work. If one had to ask for shelter, one was probably also stupid enough to have drawn the attention of the nearest wolf pack. But this didn't stop her from seizing the opportunity for a joke. "Decent men like 'The Butcher of the Peaks,' on the run from his recent spate of murders in the capital?"

"Always so judgemental. Sounds like your type, if you ask me."

This had earned him a genuine laugh from the serious woman. "Anyway look, I don't know much about the history of the region," she sighed, moving the conversation along. "But we do know that at some point it belonged to an ancient settlement. And that there's someone, or some _thing_ there, now. Add one that to your list of mysteries."

"Someone who might possibly know more about… OF COURSE!" Shad exclaimed, mid-way through sketching the runes. It was a close call for the inkwell, which rippled suddenly from the hand slammed down onto the table. "Though it is clearly a different style, these characters are the _same!_ Why didn't I notice this before?! This is the same ancient language in… _the book."_

The warrior glanced at her colleague nervously. Though he mostly kept a lid on it, at times Shad's personality could swing from calm and attentive to sheer historical mania. This didn't happen often but for the times he was able to explain in detail to anyone within listening range, any array of patterns or a string of facts that had arisen from his research. Even the most polite person could find themselves drowning in the barrage of information. Ashei knew this look all too well and planned to make an escape.

"Actually… I've gotta g-"

"Ashei, this is _incredible_ – but you must _promise not to tell anyone…"_ the scholar whispered loudly. If there were a way for him to shout beneath the volume of his vocal chords, then he had found it.

"Tell anyone what? There's nobody in here!"

To her relief, the scholar threw himself down rather dramatically into his chair. The likelihood of him shouting and waking everyone else in the building began to recede, alongside the fire within.

"… My father, he… _borrowed…_ a book… from _the Royal Archives..."_

"Oh?" Ashei wondered if this was such a bad thing. She flashed a quizzical expression at the tone he'd used.

"And I, uh… had every intention of _returning_ it once I had it translated."

Oh.

"So, he 'borrowed' it long-term, huh?" she clarified.

"Y-Yes. Precisely! But the Royal Family are not exactly… _privy_ to the notion."

Ashei feigned a serious look despite the fact that they were now yards away from the implication that there was nothing shifty going on. "I think they've had a lot more to worry about over the years than a missing book from their shared collection."

"Shared upon the provision of a _research grant,_ in this case. And the grant never came due to father's sudden illness and a lack of theoretical framework… so in actuality, the book should still be there now…" he trailed off, eyes drifting around the 'organised' clutter of the room.

"Sealed behind a magic wall and left to rot under some dictator? Don't be stupid! I think that book is exactly where it needs to be. Especially so, if it contains the language of these ruins."

Shad hesitated before he continued, eyes flitting to the ground. Of course, she was right. She was always right. But that hadn't eased the heaviness of the burden upon him. "Morally, it still feels… forgive me, father – _shady_ – but I know you are right. We needed more time. If he hadn't thought that far ahead then my translations would be stuck at zero progress…"

"You're the only one who can make this work." Ashei continued, unsure of whether she was coming off as motivational or threatening. "So, you'd better do it, then. You don't need some stupid grant."

The scholar, now overcome by some form of enthusiasm, fetched the book in question, which was stashed carefully behind a row of shorter texts. The spines were lined up perfectly in an effort to deter anyone from disturbing the collection. "I have been piecing the language together, albeit at a most frustratingly slow pace. At the moment all I have are these characters." He then flipped the book open to a page part of the way through, bookmarked by a loose sheet that had the Hylian alphabet – written in what was admittedly very beautiful handwriting – and a variety of foreign symbols that were circled.

"These only came after months of scouring and cross-referencing texts. I am getting there but… well, with this slab at the very least, I might be able to start building words. It'll be a process of elimination coupled with some extra reading… and then – _phonetics!"_ he gleamed. It hadn't taken very long for the surface of the desk to be comprised almost entirely of paper, which left the warrior wondering how any of this could make sense to someone keeping track of minute details. If research paid, he'd have hired an assistant by now.

"I wouldn't have the patience for anything like this."

"Nobody does," Shad smirked in response.

"You're really…" Ashei bristled and then stopped.

"Out of words now, are we?" he said proudly, snapping the book in his grasp shut. As much as his tone had grated on her nerves, she couldn't stop herself from finishing the sentence.

"I was going to say… hard-working. And driven. These are compliments, feel free to take them."

"… You know that I wouldn't rather be doing anything else. And I _do_ have an eye for detail. Enough to notice your difficulty for praising others, at the very least." For someone that was definitely feeling sleep-deprived, Shad wasted no words turning the tables when it came to their rivalry.

"Well if you like, I could bring you back down from the clouds," Ashei offered, sportingly.

"You can try."

"You can be pretentious. Verbose. Clumsy." The warrior folded her arms, enjoying the new game as Shad laughed.

"And you are sometimes blunt, aggressive, and rude beyond words. Our organisation has _three_ men and by comparison you make us look utterly tasteful."

"You spend more time in the mirror than I do."

"And you would put Telma out of business if left unattended behind the bar."

It seemed to the scholar that humour and conflict went hand-in-hand for Ashei, not that this wasn't already apparent, but it meant walking the knife's edge for any future jokes he might've had up his sleeve.

She smiled back at him in response, eyes taken with a strange fondness. "You should've seen some of the people who hired me before I started working with you guys. Half of them were glad to pay out the contract as soon as possible. The other half threw more jobs my way that required a… firm hand."

"I can only imagine." In comparison, nobody could be more surprised that the warrior had chosen to volunteer some information about her old life. Shad collected his thoughts before responding, noticing the light of the sun beyond the window for the first time. "Before the Resistance, I was simply a tutor and research aid. I'm afraid that my life in comparison must seem so boring!"

"Yeah, maybe," she shrugged. "What you do isn't exactly my cup of tea. But we live in a world that could benefit more from knowledge and discovery. And there are merchants enough to outlast Hyrule itself."

"I would be more _careful_ about saying that in this town," the scholar warned with an amused grin.

"That's right, I've gotta restock first thing tomorrow," came a new voice from across the room.

The two turned around to see a familiar face, one that was now sunburnt upon closer inspection, standing in the doorway. Though his tunic hadn't suffered a scratch, there were nicks in his shield and gloves. A tiredness had since taken hold of his features.

"Link! My friend, you're back!" Shad welcomed.

Not many people were able to sneak up on Ashei and she'd made note of it - begrudgingly. Her eyes flickered over the curious younger man, gauging the untold damage he'd received from the elements. "How was it?" she asked.

"The desert? It was… uh, eye-opening." His words had failed to capture the intensity of the assignment but Link smiled at his colleagues nonetheless, his eyes narrowed to mask their pain.

"You look terribly exhausted. I take it that Auru will be here soon, then?"

"Yes. He'll be able to give you most of the report – I don't think I could've done it without him."

"Apparently there are strongholds of monsters all the way out there. But I can see that wasn't a problem for someone like you…?" the warrior enquired, sounding more curious than sceptical. After everything that had happened, Ashei knew better than to underestimate the hero a second time. And Shad seemed to hang onto his every word with awe.

"Y-Yeah. At night you could see the campfires, all the way out to the prison," Link recalled, with some hesitation. He was unused to sharing such a level of detail in his journey so far. "But you should know that I found what I needed, thanks to you guys. Oh, and uh, girls. I didn't mean to… call you that."

"None taken," the warrior shrugged. "Feel free to treat me like any of the other men here, yeah?"

"A-Alright, then."

Link caught a glimpse of approval from Ashei before she addressed him again. "Well, it's good you're here now. I'll have another assignment for you, when you're ready."

"Oh, I will be. Soon." The swordsman shuddered suddenly, his shadow flickering in the dim light as Midna's hand ghosted against his face. Fortunately for him, the humans around him had missed it entirely.

"Oh, dear. Shall I close the window for you?" Shad offered. He'd already rushed out of his seat to pull it closed.

"It's okay, it's just my body readjusting to the cooler weather…" However, upon leaving his desk, the scholar had inadvertently drawn Link's attention to the materials strewn about the area. His eyes locked onto the alien characters, his keen mind jolting with familiarity. "Hey, that's…!"

"I found that piece of ruin when I was gathering information in the mountains," Ashei explained, as the younger man approached the various books. He then paused, self-consciously, before pulling out a handful of various parched and stained pages from his pockets and adding them to the confusion.

"You're going to think I'm crazy… but this all looks really similar to these characters I've been collecting. I have no idea what they are but they seemed to only appear in ruins. I thought someone in town might know more."

 _"This is-"_

The scholar's mania mode had taken over once again. He rushed to the table and then began to turn between the pages, furiously.

"Twice in one day? I don't think he can handle this…" Ashei observed faintly.

"They belong here! All the evidence is tied together here, in this book!" Shad shouted. "This is INCREDIBLE!"

"Is he… _alright?"_ Link questioned, searching for some semblance of sanity in the armoured girl at his side. She could only look at him and shrug in return. This entire situation was without precedence and the swordsman's talents had rendered them all speechless.

"You've really done it. You've broken Shad. Congratulations."

The scholar pulled them both into a rough embrace, his laughter reverberating off the walls.

"H-Hey! _Get off of me!"_

"Wh-Whoa, there…" Link blinked rapidly before Shad released them, maintaining his hold on their shoulders with trembling hands.

"Please! Do allow me to make this up to you both!" he beamed.


	10. Secrets That You Keep

**AN:** Oh man. I didn't think this would be as long as it is and I still have tonnes to get through, ahaha. The shipping begins…!

* * *

 **Chapter 10 – Secrets That You Keep**

It had taken Link and Ashei no small amount of persuasion to free themselves from the study. Together, they'd managed to convince the scholar that his time was better spent on interpreting the new materials, rather than thanking them… grandiosely. At one point, he suggested getting out the fancy glasses from downstairs and purchasing the best wine in the cellar. The time of day was inconsequential to this request. However, after being given permission to shut out the world and get straight to work – Shad wasted no time, despite a noticeable lack of sleep, and locked the door behind them. It seemed he might never need to leave, with Ilia checking on him every now and then.

"Ugh. Sorry you had to see that. He gets carried away easily, especially where his research is concerned," Ashei explained in a low voice. She rubbed her eyes, run-down from her trip back to the city.

The two made their way downstairs into the empty bar, pulling up a chair in the corner before Telma wished them good morning. She took the opportunity to start on breakfast before having to open up for business. Link gave a nervous laugh as he settled onto the other side of the table. He ran a hand through his hair, hoping that the sand from the desert was finally gone. "Shad isn't always that intense, is he? I thought he seemed quiet. Nice."

"Two things that have never been true," his new partner said with a dry laugh.

"… R-Really?"

"I'm kidding. But he still feels badly about that whole thing on the street. It's why he can't wait to get out of his seat whenever he sees you."

"I honestly wouldn't have remembered if nobody brought it up… uh… not that I'm calling you guys forgettable…" he erred, cautiously. Before Ashei could glare at him for the careless remark, her eyes settled onto the bar behind him. A new aroma flooded the room, equal parts bitter and sweet, calling her attention instead. "Coffee?" she offered.

"Yeah, thanks. Here, let me…"

Link fetched their drinks and then set them down carefully, his brain clicking into gear as he took first sip. He realised that Rusl had warned him about this. Though, that didn't stop him from dreaming up ways to take some of the mysterious beverage with him when he left.

"I was meaning to catch you earlier, actually. We've got a couple of things to discuss," Ashei prompted, interrupting his thoughts.

"Ah, that's right – the new assignment?"

"Obviously. The sooner you're up to date, the sooner we can get started. Straight to it, then?"

Link nodded, doing his best to maintain a neutral expression. In truth, he found the idea of immediately hitting the trail again mildly nauseating. As the investigations became harder to solve and he reached further into the depths of Hyrule, he'd needed to transform into a wolf far more frequently. After nearly suffocating several times in the Arbiter's Grounds due to being _that_ much closer to the ground, he shuddered to think of what else could be next.

"Shad says you've been traveling. A lot, compared to the others. So, what've you found?"

Ashei sighed quietly over her own cup of coffee before she spoke again. "I've been investigating Snowpeak Mountain, in the far north of the Lanayru Province. And I've noticed a lot of the same problems that affected Zora's Domain when it froze. Things like… the weather being unseasonably harsh, spikes in monster activity, everyone in the general vicinity being anxious," she listed, with gauntleted fingers.

Link nodded, having observed much of this first-hand on his travels. "Sounds like the kind of place I need to see."

She looked back at him wryly, her expression shifting from calm to quizzical, _indignant_ that somebody might enjoy such a disaster. "Need?"

"Yeah! Like I said before, if somewhere in Hyrule seems off, I've gotta check it out."

"Not like the rest of us have a choice, either," she muttered sarcastically.

The swordsman wanted to laugh at that – nobody had been so on the money about their actual lack of self-determination on the matter. However, her tone had caught him off-guard. He wondered what it was going to be like working with her.

Ashei had reminded herself that this boy _was_ capable – perhaps more so than anyone else in their organisation, based on the cold hard facts. At the moment he was their greatest weapon. She had fought to accept this. But seeing him here now, with that young and seemingly vulnerable face, it was nearly impossible to believe. And his manner was so low-key and collected that it unnerved her entirely. The mystery surrounding this swordsman was a puzzle that Ashei knew she couldn't figure out with any number of surface-level assessments.

It made for a conflict of trust.

She snapped forward, after swinging absently in her chair. "If you don't mind me asking – you grew up on a farm, right?"

"Well… yeah, I did. Is… that a problem for you?" Link rebuffed, his cerulean eyes now scanning hers in opposition.

"Not really. But I am wondering who taught you to be so good in such a short space of time."

"Rusl taught me."

Ashei had expected this answer based on what she'd heard from Ilia. While she would've had no trouble placing her life in the more experienced swordsman's hands, she could never recall him charging into hoards and clearing the roads out of the city alone. Of course, he had a family to think about, but even then it seemed far too foolish a thing for him to encourage.

In other words, she detected a lie.

"Rusl's good but not that good," she smiled.

"Oof. Wanna say that to his face?" Link challenged, failing to hide the glimmer of amusement in his own eye. "He's our town guardian."

"Strange he didn't enlist your help before, then. He's known about the problems in Hyrule for a long time."

"Ordon Village was always safe. And Rusl tried recruiting me for years… but it just wasn't necessary, so I always turned him down."

"Yet, here you are now. Fast learner, huh?"

The strangest part about this cross-examination was the fact that Link couldn't detect any real malice behind the warrior's words. Yet, they weren't exactly having a friendly conversation, like in his interactions with Shad or any of the others. Her dark eyes seemed pensive, as though she were still making up her mind. He wondered if the best strategy was to match Ashei's questions with his own.

"What about you, then, if you're looking for proof to bear arms?"

"Me?"

"What makes you so good? I mean, you seemed strong, when we shook hands the first time…"

Being a woman in her line of work had opened Ashei up to plenty of criticism and doubtful looks over the years. However, since working for the Resistance nobody had really called her skills into question. She considered whether this was part of the reason she enjoyed their company – they seemed to trust in her without reservation. In return, she never failed to bring them results.

Although, it was entirely possible that she'd thrown enough rabble out onto the street to give pause to her colleagues. Nobody had _dared_ to argue against her for weeks after what she'd done to one of the guards looking to pick her up. Shortly after, they'd introduced a rule that crossbows were not to be used inside.

"My father trained me as soon as I could pick up a sword, like he would any son. I aced horseback archery by my tenth birthday. And I took jobs around Hyrule Castle Town as soon as I came of age. All in all, I'd say I have at least 16 years of experience. This is all I've ever done. All I've ever known."

Despite his best efforts to blend into Ordon village, Link had to admit that he was slightly envious of Ashei's upbringing. She couldn't have been older than him by a couple of years but her training was impressive. She'd taken every opportunity that fate had either denied him, or that he'd turned down. In contrast, he had spent his entire life trying _not_ to draw any further attention to himself. An ordinary life in the southern mountains was the best thing he could've hoped for.

Yet, he loved to travel. Seeing every forest, cauldron and lake of Hyrule was the only solace to his ordeal fighting this war. And some part of him loved the fighting, as much as it terrified him to admit. He was _good_ at it.

"Wow. It sounds like you're pretty reliable, then. I… didn't mean to make it sound like you weren't. Sorry."

Ashei sniffed loudly, unable to be mad at his response. The swordsman looked back at her so intently that it disarmed most of the irritation she'd felt before.

"Because I'm a girl? Are you patronising me, now?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"N-No, it doesn't matter what you are! I, uh… I know _plenty_ of strong women-"

"Just messing with you. Again."

Link watched her apprehensively before he'd allowed himself to relax. Ashei blinked back at him once. Her expression hadn't changed at all, making it very hard to read. It suddenly struck him that Shad had warned him about this.

"Anyway, don't mind all the questions, yeah? But I _am_ asking because the last thing I want is for you to underestimate this mountain. It's good you can fight. But you also lack experience and this isn't like putting up with some dry heat and extra water supplies. You can freeze day or night, if you're not careful. And every fight you engage in will drain your stamina."

"I'll be fine," Link assured, confident of the wolf hide at his back.

"Blind confidence will get you killed."

"Then it's a good thing my senses are pretty sharp."

Ashei felt her anger rising again as Link held her attention, entirely unperturbed.

"Breakfast is ready!" Telma called suddenly from the kitchen.

The warrior threw him one final, scathing look before she stood up from the table. "Let's meet there in three days, then. We should use the rest of today to rest and get some supplies, but after that it's on you to prepare. I'll use my head start to find us a lead."

"Fine with me," he concluded.

"And _don't_ be late."

Link then watched Ashei as she quietly took her plate from the bar and headed upstairs to her room, her endurance for socialising spent for the day.

"Where's everyone else? Still in bed?" Telma tsk-ed.

"I'll take them upstairs before they get cold," the younger man offered, turning his attention to the bar.

"Oh, honey. What would we do without you?" she sighed.

* * *

True to his promise, Link spent the rest of the day preparing for the journey ahead. The most pressing matter of all was the opportunity for him to catch up on his sleep. However, this didn't stop him from practicing in the quadrangle with Rusl as the sun went down. Together they'd drawn the attention of a small, enthusiastic audience, who cheered as he disarmed his mentor with a finishing strike.

As the afternoon waned into evening, Link had slipped out of the increasingly rowdy tavern and into the alley next to the kitchen, where he shared parts of his dinner with Louise. All the while, Ilia chatted to him contentedly through a nearby window. Glasses clinked around her hands in the sink.

"So… when does this place actually _close?"_ Link yawned, leaning against the wall. He could feel every bit of that afternoon training session in his joints, coupled with a lingering fatigue from the desert.

"It mostly depends on our last customers but most of the time, before midnight. It's later on Fridays."

"But Telma gets up earlier than the sun?"

"Yep! And she does it everyday. And she's never tired. I don't know how she pulls it off, but I guess that's why I'm here," she said cheerfully over the noise.

"People who've been around longer don't need to sleep as much, honey!" Telma interjected over the rabble.

"That's a nice way of saying old…" Link said under his breath.

Ilia giggled back at him quietly. "Hey, this is your first proper night off with us, right?" she then asked, looking to him through the window. It seemed strange to admit but she'd been looking forward to sharing the city with him for quite some time.

"Oh, yeah. I… forgot to ask about that. It's fine, though, I can crash anywhere in town, or I can stay outside-"

"Nonsense!" the proprietress roared from the kitchen. "You'll have a roof over your head here, even if I have to vacate the rest of the bar to get it!"

"There's plenty of room but… with six, or seven of us here… hmm. We can set you up in the bar after closing time, or put a make-shift bed in one of the guest rooms."

"I could always just… sleep on the floor in your room upstairs? If that's – not too weird… I-I mean, we grew up together and everything, and I won't be there if you need any privacy-" Link stumbled, feeling jittery in his throat. He'd noticed Ilia smiling back at him from the other side of the glass but then her green eyes looked down, avoiding his gaze. Her hands grew still in the sink basin.

After an uneasy silence, in which he'd wanted to cram his fist into his mouth, she spoke again in a different, heavier voice. "It's… it's not anything like that, Link. I trust you completely. But I don't think that's a good idea. I actually have a lot of trouble sleeping at night."

"Oh, Ilia… I didn't know. I'm so sorry."

"It hasn't been the same since the… disaster. I wouldn't want to make you worry. Or ruin your sleep."

"No, no… I totally understand."

The guilt of pretending that Ilia's life was back to normal, and that she _hadn't_ been missing for some weeks in the wild, rained down heavily upon him. She'd shown no visible signs of this trauma on the outside, and stupidly, he had fallen for it.

For some time, all he could hear from the kitchen was the clinking of table-wear under the water. The white cat at his side sprang into his arms, purring, as though to comfort him. However, as much as he wanted to dig further into the matter and find out what exactly was happening – he knew that now was not the time or place. Ilia was fighting for an ordinary life, a struggle that he was very familiar with.

"Have you seen Shad today?" she finally enquired, her voice reverting to a casual tone.

Link could not be more relieved at the change in subject. "Yeah, I visited him this morning. Why, haven't you?"

"Not for a while. He's been strangely quiet in his room, apart from the occasional… shouting? I was wondering if everything in there was okay."

"He's doing great, actually. Ashei and I brought him some weird research materials from the ruins and he seems to love it!"

Ilia laughed in response. Though Link couldn't see it from the street, she was in the process of drying the glasses as quickly as she could. It pained her to do so but she was planning on a strategic exit to the main bar. "That explains it, then."

"Why don't you go check if he's alive and share the study for the night? I'm sure he won't mind at all," Telma offered, upon drifting back into the kitchen for 'supplies.'

"… Sure, I'll… go do that. In fact, that's a great idea," Link agreed. A new realisation had dawned upon him. He didn't intend on shaking Shad's dedication to his work, however there was an opportunity for him to conduct some research of his own.

* * *

Link wondered what mood he might find the scholar in after the eventful morning they'd had – the last thing he wanted to do was encroach too much and too often into his space. However, despite a tumultuous first impression, they'd actually gotten along rather well. Or so he'd thought, before Ashei pointed out that it came at the expense of Shad's ability to relax.

The curious younger man fled the rowdiness of the customers downstairs as he ascended into the hallway. He prepped the conversation he'd be having in his head, before finally knocking on the door. For a long while, nothing happened. Until suddenly, there was a crash.

"H-Hello? Shad?" Link called through the walls, knocking again. "Are you okay in there?"

"… Link?" the scholar responded, voice muffled. "Link, my apologies… I was… so entranced by this book that I… became deaf to the outside world."

"You mean, you fell asleep," he clarified in jest.

 _"Erm…_ if you would allow me a minute, old boy." After a brief moment of silence, the locks clicked and the door opened to reveal an avalanche of reading materials scattered around the main working desk.

"Sorry to bother you – whoa."

If Link hadn't known any better, he'd have guessed that a wild animal had let itself into the room and ripped everything out of the shelves.

"Not at all. Now… I know it _looks_ bad but I believe I have everything in chronological order, starting from the left hand side of the room. It's all under control. And oh, I've made so much progress!"

After seeing the scholar again for the first time in hours, Link soon realised that he'd never seen him in anything short of an immaculate condition. The man before him now was completely dishevelled, with crooked glasses, an undone ribbon tie and dark shadows under his indigo eyes. In short, he was a mess.

"That's… great. Have you considered taking a break?" Link found himself saying - albeit, hypocritically - as his eyes wandered around the room. At times Midna had been forced to cut him off in the middle of assignments, hoping to prevent further injuries.

"A break? No, no, no. I've just had the most wondrous day of my life. Truly. You have given me hope for the future, and I am still _wracking_ my brain as to how to repay you."

Link immediately discarded the notion that he'd been pestering Shad with this visit. "Well actually, if you wouldn't mind, would I be able to crash on your floor tonight? I don't want to be in anyone's way but there's no space. And Telma suggested-"

"Absolutely! Yes! In fact, you shall take my bed and I'll sleep on the desk!" Shad exclaimed, rearranging the books in his immediate workspace.

"You'll… what?"

Even to somebody used to sleeping outside, this seemed an uncomfortable arrangement.

"I've had years of experience, it's easy," the scholar replied, flashing a roguish smile from across the room.

"No way, I'd feel terrible! Seriously, Shad. Just let me put some things in the corner and I'll be fine. It's already comfier than the ground."

"Oh, _please._ Allow me to make this the first thing in my quest to properly compensate you – and you won't be off the hook for some time."

Link clutched his forehead as pieces of the room around him were thrown back into order. Shad then made a hasty trip to the linen cupboard. He'd wondered if there would _ever_ be a time in which the older man wasn't set on addressing some past slight, or trying to repay him for doing things that had just sort of… worked out in his travels. In fact, the only time he'd seen the scholar at ease was when they'd played that personality game with Ilia.

'Ilia… I wonder if you're really okay.'

"And we're done! New sheets, relative cleanliness and sufficient lighting – that is, until you wish to rest."

The swordsman awoke to see the sleeping area completely rearranged into a tranquil space, with smooth sheets, overhanging lanterns and high pillows. Whatever tiny plants remained in the study were placed carefully on the shelves around the bed, adding blossoms of natural colour to the alcove. It made Link wonder whether Shad had bothered to remember his fondness for leaf green. The music from the bards outside tied the atmosphere together into something that felt restorative, and almost magical.

Protesting at this point was futile.

"I wouldn't have come in if I was going to make you do all _this!"_

"I will take that as a compliment. Go on, then."

The swordsman sighed, slowly setting his equipment down against the wall before flopping backwards into the bed. In all his years, he couldn't recall being in a room this different to home. Yet, some part of it was so beautiful and _so_ removed from the horrors outside that he wanted to stay.

"You'll laugh at this when I tell you… but my house actually is built into a tree in the woods. I really like it, most of the time. Except when it rains, then I've gotta move all my books."

"You like to read?" Shad had asked carelessly. His face fell as he was hit by the weight of his own rudeness. "Oh, no, I-I didn't mean to infer that you were… _unable to read._ I just… uh, I am so sorry."

To his immense relief, the swordsman regarded him humorously. He'd even smiled a little at the comment. "There weren't any libraries in our village but we traded enough with the city to get new stock in. Pretty regularly, too. I collected books about magic, about the war, and… a couple of other things. I kept most of it hidden, too. I didn't want anyone getting weirded out."

The manner in which he'd trailed off gave Shad the impression that this topic was a delicate one. But he'd decided to press on, nonetheless.

"And why would that be? Did Ilia know… about this side of you?"

"Ilia and our shopkeeper Sera, but no one else. The thing is, I'm not really from my town. My mother came from this city, somewhere… but she died in the war. And I never knew my father. So, I went digging around when I had questions."

"I suspect that anyone would, given your situation," Shad frowned. He looked to Link with some mixture of awe and sympathy.

Just then, it had struck him that he and the swordsman were more alike than he'd originally thought. Link's pointed ears very obviously set him apart from the other provincial humans in their group, like Rusl and Ashei. He was, in fact, a Hylian.

"Ah, I didn't mean for this to be sad – I'm fine with everything. Really." Link's expression softened as he continued. "Ilia's family took me in and never made me feel different to anyone else. Neither did any of the kids in our town. So, if everything goes well, I've got somewhere to return."

"I'm very glad. I can't imagine any of this is easy."

"We'll get through it," the swordsman promised, his eyes fixating onto a spot on the wall. He fought back a spike of anxiety for the situation at hand, reminding himself that it couldn't be solved in one night.

After a couple of minutes of absently unknotting his hair, Link relaxed enough to begin changing out of his trademark green clothes and into his plain under-layer of white – causing Shad to immediately turn away in embarrassment. He fiddled with the books in the corner, consciously averting his gaze, as the younger man spoke to him again.

"So hey, I also wanted to ask you about a couple of other things – if you didn't mind staying up a bit longer."

"N-Not at all, in fact I've likely ruined my circadian rhythm for the week," Shad admitted, wondering when it might be safe to resume eye contact.

"… I spoke to Ashei this morning. She's probably gone by now but she seemed… sort of mad at me?"

Link sighed before bundling his clothes and throwing them to the side of the bed.

"That's normal for her, I'm afraid," the scholar chuckled lightly. "What did she say to you? I thought we'd learned our lesson from the first time we saw you."

"She, uh, picked up on the fact that I haven't been doing this for very long. And she threw some dirt at Rusl."

"Metaphorically, I hope," Shad interjected, looking up to throw Link some side-eye. He received quite a shock when he noticed that the younger man was _only_ wearing shorts, staring up at the ceiling from the bed. "… Ack!"

Link man glanced back at the scholar, genuinely puzzled at his response. It suddenly occurred to him that there was still so much to learn about Hyrule Castle Town and that he might've broken some sort of etiquette in this situation. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"H-Heavens, not to be… indecent, old boy, but… those _scars?"_

"Oh, yeah… those, haha. Is it… bad? Here, I'll put my shirt back on-"

 _"No!"_ Shad protested, a little too loudly. "I-I mean, no… you should relax how you see fit. I'm afraid I am rather sheltered when it comes to fighting and… the rural way of life. Uh… please, don't let me interrupt you." He cleared his throat before taking a seat at the desk nearby, turning to give his guest his full attention. With eye-contact. Like a normal person would.

Link smiled back at the easily startled man and continued on his original line of thought.

"I'll be the first to admit, I don't have tonnes of experience. And I feel like I'm not fighting at my best. But… Ashei doesn't seem to trust me. We're meant to be working together soon and I… I don't know how it's going to go. Maybe I've made things worse by being over-confident?"

After a brief pause, the scholar smirked. These past weeks of fighting with the warrior had given him some rare insight into the machinations of her mind. In other words, he was the perfect person to talk to about this situation. "It might not look like it to you, but she respects you greatly for what you did for Prince Ralis, along with Ilia and Telma. And I genuinely believe that she would do anything in her power to help you succeed. One of her habits happens to be picking up one's weaknesses and sort of… throwing them in your face, to get you to fight through it."

"She helps people by _dragging_ them?" Link laughed.

"I never said it made sense," Shad defended, playfully. "She has a lot on her mind. In fact, forgive me Farore for saying so, but the situation at Zora's Domain left her feeling rather shaken."

The troubled hero thought back to his own initial shock of discovering when dozens of Zoras were trapped in the ice beneath him, contorted in the agony of their final moments. It was a memory that had disrupted his sleep for quite some time. In addition to that, it was the most pressing matter he'd ever been tasked with looking into. "She saw it, then?" Link murmured.

"And Queen Rutela. Yes. In that moment, she… lost faith that we could win this war."

"I don't blame her. I think I felt the same."

After a brief pause, the scholar continued, with some effort to lighten the conversation once again. "You'll be fine. Both of you are so competent. Admittedly, I do wonder if you've stolen some of her thunder as well, being the youngest and as well as the strongest… please, don't tell Ashei I said that…"

"What, then? Should I be _less_ of those things and be easier to work with?" Link asked, tongue-in-cheek.

"Maybe. At least you'd still terribly handsome-" Shad replied, cutting himself off as he was crushed by the weight of his own audacity. Link really seemed to be bringing it out in him. However, before he could flinch at the clumsiness of his words, the other man returned the favour.

"I think you've got that one covered."

"Uhh… I-I'm glad to bring something to the table," he blushed. "Ahaha… haha. But no, it wouldn't be practical for you to be any less than what you are. Just continue being… you. You are a treasure, Link."

"I can never tell when anyone is kidding around here…" Link frowned to himself before he spoke again. "I've also been meaning to ask you… What's your history with Ashei? Telma warned me about you working together, Ilia says you're pretty close."

"History? _Close?!"_ Shad felt his blood run hot and cold at the same time. "Oh dear, I don't believe anybody could be classified as close to her, or even really friends, with the exception of our lovely proprietress. She happens to be the one who recruited her."

"Telma has that effect on people," Link admitted, mimicking one of her trademark winks as Shad laughed.

"Indeed she does. However, back to your original question, uh, no… I don't suppose we are… particularly close. Our interactions have always been strictly professional." The scholar's eyes settled onto the ancient slab that had narrowly missed his head earlier that day.

"Why, were you… interested?" he found himself enquiring.

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't," Link shrugged.

"Oh… Oh my. _R-Really?"_

"Yeah! I wanted all the tips on how to work with her, if you guys were good friends. But it looks like you're in the same boat as me, ahaha."

As a lifelong city-dweller, Shad had to reconcile the fact that euphemisms were not the way to go with the younger man. "Ah… haha. Y-Yes… indeed," he acquiesced. "… If I may also be so bold, you and Ilia are close friends, correct?"

Link merely smiled back at scholar. He hung upside down from the bed, his face radiating a certain glow. "Yeah! Absolutely. Ilia was my best friend growing up, me, her and Epona go all the way back."

"I wonder, has she ever… mentioned me?"

"She really looks up to you and Telma. Says you've been the best person to talk with about this whole thing. I haven't been here as much as I should, so… I really wanted to thank you, again. You've been the light in this whole nightmare."

"I've only acted as any person should," the scholar backtracked, now feeling profoundly self-conscious.

"No way. You're smart, compassionate and kind. And… this is gonna sound terrible but I can fight knowing that if anything were to happen to me, _you'd_ be there. I want Ilia to be able to have a normal life, after this whole thing… even if I'm gone…" the swordsman trailed off. He swallowed, hoping to re-stabilise his voice.

For Shad, this was not the first time he'd heard the others place their trust in him where Ilia was concerned. In return, he wondered if any of it was truly deserved. All he'd wanted was for her to have the freedom that any young woman _should,_ outside of the horrors of her ordeal. However, he couldn't deny the fact that Link's absence had left a sizeable void to fill in terms of emotional support. Ilia had never spoken to him of the things she'd chosen to forget but the loneliness in her eyes seemed to evaporate the further she stepped into his world and the longer she stayed with Telma.

As a result – the shoes Link left behind were ones he'd never wanted to stop filling.

Before he would ever admit to being that selfish, something in Link's words had pulled heavily upon his heart. He wanted nothing more than to advocate, fiercely, against their nihilism. He would not let him burn in the place of his friends.

"Please, don't say such things. She will never forgive you if you don't come back to us."

"I know. I know…"

Eventually, Shad doused the lights. And Link stared up at the pale ceiling, silently measuring the scale of the task ahead of him.

 _'Three pieces left, Link.'_

"You are loved a great deal," the scholar reminded him gently through the dark, and muffled song of the streets.

"Thanks again for everything, Shad. I think I needed this whole… whatever this is. Having a nice, real bed for a change. And your advice. I'll be here if you need anything." He promised to gather the necessary resolve to talk with Ilia again, before he left.


	11. Dancing on Ice

**AN:** Angst and action in this chapter! ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 11 – Dancing on Ice**

Link cringed inwardly at the fact that he'd be arriving on the afternoon of the day he promised to meet Ashei. If a strict schedule applied then he really ought to have been there _that_ morning, not that such rules were commonplace for the swordsman. Time was always of the essence, but his ability to adapt and plan in the moment had always kept him on the right path.

His feet dragged upon the road, reluctant, after the last couple of days in town. It also hadn't helped that the desert assignment had been so strenuous. But he knew he'd put himself through it all over again if it meant getting to spend more time with Shad and Ilia. Keeping this in mind, Link continued along the path beside Zora's River, long after he'd left Epona behind at the northern end of the field.

He took the opportunity to drink in the scenery as the sun crept down and the rushing waters transformed in the light – from crystalline blue, to iris purple, to dusky lilac. Sheets of orange and gold played upon the river's surface and spilled across the skies, beyond the increasingly mountainous terrain. The balmy atmosphere of the Lanayru Province was soon overcome by the sounds of crickets, frogs and fireflies, all competing against the roaring of the waterfalls. With each step, it felt as though the world grew quieter. A chill had begun to seep into the air.

'This must be where the paths branch off,' he thought, looking to the sheer cliffs of the waterfall basin on his right. Climbing up the ravine would have taken him into the Zora's Domain itself. However, to his left was a flat area with pine trees and an empty campsite. An unfamiliar grey mare watched him from the grasses nearby, fitted with red bridles and a dark, weathered saddle. She snorted loudly in his general direction as he approached.

"And you must be Ashei's," the swordsman said aloud in greeting, placing a hand on the horse's side.

Link then looked to what ought to have been the Snowpeak foothills. The first thing he noticed was its ominous silence, in contrast to the sounds of the river at his back. The cold was now much more prevalent in the air, unfurling from the mountains in the form of a thin mist.

'It'll be quicker for you if you transform,' Midna reminded him gently from the dark.

'Yeah, yeah… I can track her from here. Did you really think I'd wanna run up that hill on these second-rate legs?'

'Hmm, I always knew you were smart.'

After a brief scan of the area, Link stepped behind the trees and broke into his other form. The initial sensation of his legs shifting and pulling him closer to the ground was still uncomfortable as ever… but the surge of power he felt afterward more than made up for it. Concentrating, he repressed the sounds and smells of the river basin and honed his senses towards the mountain trail, allowing the new air to fill and burn in his nostrils.

 _"Wait."_

The great wolf - a hulking mass of thick grey and white fur and striking blue eyes – gave pause and turned his attention to the horse nearby. It regarded him critically.

 _"Something's wrong. She disappeared this morning… to chase after a monster. Please, find my partner."_

His ears pricked forward, in anticipation of the hunt. "Stay here. I'll bring her back." And then the wolf turned, bounding effortlessly up the slopes as the grounds below him flourished thick with snow.

* * *

The final rays of the evening sun bathed the white hills of the mountain in ethereal, flaming light.

Ashei stopped to admire the stillness of the winter around her, momentarily, before turning herself around. The snow of the day had covered most of the heavy tracks she followed all the way from Zora's River. She'd ignored the cold as it gnawed into the joints of her thick snow armour, and pressed on, determined not to lose sight of the rare creature. But very soon, night would take hold of the peaks. And for that, she did not plan on staying around.

Sliding down from the slopes was immensely easier than climbing them and it saved much of the time she'd needed to get back to safety. Before her camp, which lay at the base of the mountain, she would need to pass a frozen lake - etched into the same landmass from which Zora's Domain was attached. Of course, she expected Link to be waiting at the other end. Though, she hadn't hated the idea of making him sit there, longer.

'This is what you get for being late,' she thought with mild irritation.

The prospect of catching up to this monster - curiously humanoid in its appearance - had been too good to pass up.

'Guess it'll have to wait until tomorrow, then. Ugh. What a shame.'

* * *

Before long, Link was buffeted by vicious and _exhausting_ winds that had seemingly conjured themselves up after sundown. Snowpeak was no longer a quiet stranger, cloaked in mist. Instead it roared with an intensity that might have matched one of the eruptions from the Gorons' sacred lands. He was now on the opposite end of the temperature scale, in sub-zero temperatures, with only a single thick hide to insulate him from the cold.

He followed tiny human tracks – which seemed to mirror something much larger – all the way from the base camp, and was now on high alert for the lone armoured girl.

'This isn't looking go-od…' Midna hummed in her all-too familiar, melodic voice. 'If you don't find her soon, that girl will be frozen for sure.'

'I know that but these tracks just keep going! We _have_ to be getting close!'

Just as he'd responded, Link felt the ground beneath him shift into something hard and nearly slipped over in his surprise. He dug his paws into the glassy surface, slowing his movement before he looked around, breaking free of the scents in the wintry air. Disoriented, he spoke.

'… It's water. We're on a body of frozen water… and the tracks have disappeared?'

'So? Just go in the same direction! Use your nose if you have to!'

But then, he heard something new. Something loud and very sharp, echoing from the blue expanse that stretched beyond the lake. In fact, multiple sounds rang out from the area ahead. They cut more audibly through the winds as Link closed the distance.

The reason soon became clear - there was a fight going on. Oddly, he couldn't tell how many were involved. It seemed that there was one set of metallic footsteps, clinking and crunching lightly in the terrain, while several beasts roared and hissed through the air. They left not a tread in the snow.

Link bolted towards the arena, his feet connecting once again with powdered snow, before he crashed right in front of Ashei. The warrior clutched her arm as she knelt in the weather, teeth gritted in agony, before she looked up. A wolf? She gasped, lips purple from the cold.

 _"What… the hell… is going on here?"_

Tapping into his fighting instincts, the hero snarled ferociously at the pack of white wolves that had the pair surrounded – fangs baring and snapping, as they stood strong in the blizzard.

"… You're helping me?" Ashei hissed, slowly picking herself up off the ground. Patches of blood clung to the evening snow, left in the wake of her recently savaged arm.

Link threw a cautionary glance over his shoulder and noticed at once that the ordinarily slim warrior was cloaked in a different set of heavier, white armour, and that the wolves had targeted her dominant sword-hand. They'd worked intelligently to bring her down, despite the unfair odds of six against one. Her dark eyes cut through the blizzard and made contact with his own vivid blue, momentarily. But before she could speak again, the pack of wolves barked and lurched forward, ganging up on the new intruder.

Using a similar technique against the Shadow Beasts, Link shook them off and planned to tackle them individually before crunching the remaining group into submission. It was here, that he noticed his fangs were making contact with something cold and very much _un-alive_ – evil beings, which had apparently manifested from the ice itself.

"Behind you!" the warrior shouted, swinging her sword heedlessly from her injured arm and shattering one of the wolves into an explosion of icy shards. Link then sank his teeth into the throat of the one he'd pinned to the ground, feeling the spirit within it burst away as he tore it in half.

With four wolves remaining, the pair found themselves back-to-back, engaging two at a time. Their assailants circled them briefly before breaking ranks. Then, the fray erupted. His mind pulled him disjointedly through a series of split-second decisions; when to dodge, when to attack, when to force himself into the place of the wolves' jaws. Their bites left several deep gashes where they'd connected with his body, immediately chilling him to the bone. It was like some cruel combination of tooth and winter, harnessed to sap his strength as well as cause debilitating pain.

However, injured Ashei was not as helpless as he'd feared.

She was focused. And _angry._

Using a fighting style he'd never seen before, and didn't have much time to admire, her sword was her safeguard as well as her weapon. It certainly made sense now, why he'd never seen her carry anything as heavy as a shield around to begin with. And despite the obvious pain that it caused her, she was more than capable of defending the attacks. There were minimal opportunities to retaliate and the injury had obviously limited her speed.

However, she'd bought Link enough time to rush one of the wolves from the side and tear into its jugular. Three survivors were left. Ashei quickly vanquished another as it lunged at her, falling onto her sword.

Evenly matched, the remaining two wolves parted way… giving false reprieve to the unlikely allies.

"… Is that it, then?" the warrior seethed, gripping the bloodied hilt of her sword. "After all of _that,_ and you didn't even wanna work for it?! Cowards!"

Before Link could allow himself to breathe a sigh of relief, his ears pricked up, detecting subtle changes in the weather. The winds died down to reveal a single hulking figure as it prowled towards them from the dark, growling low enough to raise the hairs on the his mane.

Ashei swore quietly as it revealed itself to be a White Wolfos.

Everything about this wolf seemed very different from its wraithly imitations in the storm. It was real, corporeal, and much, much larger. The creature flattened its ears and bared its razor teeth in a threatening display – poised to attack them both. This had to be the pack leader. Link positioned himself in front of the warrior once again, taking a defensive stance, as he met the wolf's ferocity with his own warning barks.

'Stay behind me!' he _wanted_ to say, keeping his eye on his comrade. 'This thing is even bigger me, there's no way I'm letting you near it.'

However, diverting his attention was a grave mistake.

"No!"

The white wolf hit him square-on like a ton of bricks. Before it could keep him down, Link sprang back into action and manoeuvred himself out of the path of its powerful jaws. He whipped around, circling his enemy to draw its attention away from the injured human nearby. At the very least, he'd wanted her to run from the battle as far as possible. But Ashei refused to move, watching the scene develop before her as she gripped to her injured arm, her sword reluctantly lowered.

The white and the grey wolf collided once again, and Link soon found himself over-powered by the heavy beast. Using its superior weight to barge him into the snow, pack leader then took this window of opportunity to wrap its jaws around his shoulder – just near the throat – and tear into him, mercilessly. The jaws ripped into Link's hide, pulling back and forth as they shook him.

He yelped loudly in pain as the white wolf tore into his flesh, feeling like the torturous moment might stretch on forever before he heard something whistle and – _thud_ – into his assailant from behind. The white wolf still clung to his shoulder, snarling loudly, though it did so much weaker than before. Before Link could react to the sudden change, Ashei kicked the wolf away and shot it again, in the face. A bolt slammed into its skull from her crossbow.

The human was panting with some mixture of exhaustion and fear, looking over him with grave concern. Blood gushed heavily out of his wounds.

'You need to turn human again, so you can heal yourself,' Midna warned him urgently from the shadows. 'C'mon, _get out_ of there! You need to go, now.'

Without thinking, he snapped viciously towards his ally, causing her to recoil. It might've worked – as terrorising humans into moving out of the way was an effective last resort – if not for the fact that Ashei was not like most people. She then drew her crossbow on him, taking a second to reload despite the searing pain in her hand.

'No, no, no! Not like that!'

Any sudden movement might have finished him. The blizzard around them began to distort, in his dizziness. He needed to find somewhere to close his wounds, _without_ blowing his cover, and fast. Only then could he come back for Ashei, confident in the knowledge that she would be able to hang on.

Now in damage control, Link did the only thing he could think of and bowed down, emitting a mournful sound. He flattened his ears in submission – mimicking the dogs that roamed the streets of Hyrule Castle Town at night. He stared back at her as his feet swayed beneath him.

"… You're not like the other wolves around here," she said at last, glancing over his coat and markings. "You're from the forest."

Unfortunately, the young warrior was nearly just as worse for wear. Her arm was beginning to lose feeling. A single streak of blood fell from the corner of her mouth as she grimaced. Fighting was not a viable option for either of them. And after a long pause, the warrior slowly lowered her crossbow.

"Leave me," she commanded.

She glared at Link as he broke away, feeling no small amount of relief as he widened the distance between them.

However, before the hero could put this new plan into motion, both of them heard a heavy – _fwoom_ – sound in the distance, like snow dropping suddenly from a great height. The wolf and the warrior looked to each other once more, united in their panic.

Out-running an avalanche was an impossible feat for any human but with quick thinking, Link dove under Ashei's feet, forcing her to grab onto his mane. As the snow came crashing down the mountain, he sprinted across the lake and towards the only cover he could see – a cavern, facing out into the barren wilderness. The icy floor beneath him cracked as the landslide pummelled into the earth, spraying the area with a freezing rain. He made it – just barely – under the cover of the grotto as the snow came thundering in.

He heard a scream. And then there was only cold.

 _And blackness._

* * *

Ilia smiled to him from the roof of Telma's Bar. She had dragged him up there rather insistently, laughing as they raced up the stairs, and again as she led him carefully out of the window. She took his hands as they stepped across the guttering. Gently, as Shad had done with her before. The rays of the sun kissed the tender spots on his face that were left behind by the Gerudo desert.

They laughed again – sharing in a private joke – before the feeling was doused by something… new. Something _uncomfortable._ Link fiddled with the glove on his left hand, distracted, before his eyes met Ilia's once again.

"Ilia… I haven't told this to anyone," he heard himself say. "And… I don't want to make you worry any more than you have to. But nobody here knows what's happening to our world. Nobody knows how close we came to losing everything."

"I can listen if you need it, Link."

He felt more ashamed than ever of using his time with Ilia to talk about his own problems. And he knew Midna was there, judging him from afar… but he pushed it aside, as selfish as it might've been. "I shouldn't be saying any of this, you know, I-"

She reached for his hand again, though this time her grasp was firm, determined. "You're carrying too much by yourself, just like you did back at home! And you're guilty about what happened to me – but you need to _know_ that this was out of your control. None of this is your fault. I got myself out of that mess and I'll be able to handle anything else, too."

When the light spirits chose him as the protector of their realm, he wondered whether that were really the case. Was it possible that Ordon would have been left alone entirely if he hadn't been there? Perhaps if he'd done more to fit in, if he hadn't done his own secret readings into magic or taken on the role of a leader amongst the villagers, he wouldn't have tempted fate.

 _'Maybe if I'd just kept to myself…'_

"You really don't regret taking a stray like me in, after everything that's happened?" he asked quietly.

"Is _THAT_ what you're worried about? After all of this time? After everything we've been through?! What's wrong with you…?" Ilia shouted back at him, causing a nearby flock of pigeons to take flight. Her thicket-green eyes were narrowed in pain.

 _'What's wrong with me?'_

"I'm sorry! It's just, I never… found a way to pay you back. And I don't think I ever can. Not for what you and your Dad did for me, not for what these people are doing for you now, in my absence. I… feel like I've ruined everything, Ilia. I'm sorry."

He'd seen for himself how happy she was in the city. How kindly Shad had endeavoured to make her smile again. But in contrast to Ilia's situation, he feared that there was no 'normal' life to return to. He could never escape this war. It was etched into his code, like the mark on his hand.

"You haven't ruined anything!" she argued back at him, just as fiercely as before. "And you're _here_ now, working together with these people to bring peace. That's more than enough. You need to stop punishing yourself and start letting us in. We can't help you if you don't trust us!" Ilia took in a deep breath, bracing herself for whatever was next.

"So, what is it that you really can't tell your oldest friend?"

Link could hear his heart beating in his ears now. Midna was frightened – and she'd pleaded with him to stop – to get a grip onto his emotions before he regretted it. He felt like the goddesses themselves might have struck him for the following words.

"… Zelda gave her life for the war," he confessed, feeling the prickly aftershock of the words in his face. "And that's only part of it. Everyone here's under the impression that she's still trapped in the castle but even if my plan works – and we make it in there – she's… gone. Hyrule's lost its last and only ruler. What am I supposed to do?"

"Wait… how do you know that?" Ilia asked, her eyes wild with apprehension.

"I was _there,_ Ilia! Before the castle fell. We both were-" He cut himself off before relaying too much about Midna, who was now very much shaken and in hiding.

"… Link. That's so terrible. Did she say anything to you before it happened?"

"She's… trusting in me to finish it. But it won't bring her back… and I can't tell the Resistance. Nobody can know I was ever there."

There was an uncomfortable silence, in which Link wished that _he_ had listened Ilia, instead of it being the other way around. She had always found it easier to care for others, instead of being in that position herself. But then she spoke again, in a soft voice, interrupting his thoughts. "If we come out of this alive, I think we'll be able to handle the fallout. People are a lot stronger than you think. And no one's going to blame you."

"… You can't be sure about that. They'd probably hate me… if they knew everything."

"I'd jump down their throats if they did! You could never be responsible for something like that."

In a strange way, being here felt almost like being at home again. With Rusl watching him grow. With Ilia here, willing to advocate for him if he raised too many suspicions. And with the same burning questions, taking him away from reality. But even with their support, he couldn't bring himself to let them see it.

His Twilight form.

"Remember, you're not alone this time. You have friends here, and we're more than capable. _Let_ us help you."

"I'll try," Link promised.

* * *

The swordsman woke violently to the smell of smoke and the warmth of a nearby fire, burning a light that bounced off the walls of the surrounding cavern. He sat upwards at once, gasping loudly for air. His fear of the mountain falling onto him and burying everything in its path was still wired into the sinews of his body. He kicked the earth around him as he flailed. However, after engaging with the rest of his senses, his mind eventually caught up.

Link looked to his hands, blinking rapidly before he brought them to touch his arms – his shoulders – his smooth face…

"AUGHHH!"

He then slumped to the side, feeling every ounce of pain that burrowed its way into his core. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that there were bandages under his clothes. They were wound tightly around his shoulders, swooping down past his neck and meeting underneath his right arm.

"I wondered how long you'd be out," said a beast from the other side of the fire.

For a moment, he thought he might actually be dead and that the realms were finally out of tricks to play.

"What the hell is _that?!"_ he shouted, crawling backwards in shock. But then, most jarringly, the strange creature removed its head - which had heavy-set, fearsome eyes adorned with fur. It revealed itself to be a pale human girl, who looked over him blankly, blinking once in response.

"Oh… Ashei, it's you…? What's going on? Where are we?" Link re-examined her with a critical eye, now recognising the warrior's white-tufted snow armour. "What happened to – AGH!"

 _"Don't_ touch your shoulder!" Ashei snapped, her voice echoing in the chamber. "It's still healing but I cleaned it up and used a red potion to close the wounds. You're lucky I got to it in time."

The swordsman's panicked expression then eased into some form of surprise.

"Y-You… fixed me?"

"You're welcome," she shrugged, before tending to the Hylian bass she had roasting by the fire.

Though he were dealing with the most aloof member of the Resistance, Link noticed that she hadn't bothered to look him in the face since they'd been talking… which struck him as peculiar, even for her.

'She still hasn't told me what's going on here.'

It gradually dawned on him they'd been out in the snow together, running wildly, from something… intangible. There were violent flashes of a wolf attack. Not long after, he'd woken up in terrible pain in this breezy cavern.

Wolves.

 _Wolves?_

 _'Oh no… no, no, **no**!'_

Link stared at the raven-haired warrior as she cleaned her sword, more withdrawn and ruminative than he'd ever remembered seeing her. Her eyes were clouded over with what looked like quiet anger and her lips, now slightly purple in the cold, were pressed together into a subtle frown. He shot his attention desperately to the shadow that flickered upon the cavern wall behind him. His companion was crossing her arms.

'Damn it… DAMN IT! Midna… I blew my cover, didn't I?'

'Well done, genius.'

He struggled to mouth the words quietly into his hat, so as not to arouse any further suspicion from the taciturn girl.

'What the hell happened? I turned _human_ again?! Don't you have the shadow crystal?!'

'Don't you dare blame this on me! You didn't stop the bleeding in time and your body grew unstable, so you… sort of just shifted back. It was out of my control.' Midna sighed with disapproval, though she weren't nearly as mad as she might've been if this had happened to them much earlier.

'You need to fix this, Link. She could cause problems for you in town.'

'What am I supposed to do _now?_ How do I explain this to her without giving you away?'

'Use your imagination! But don't lie about it and make it worse. She isn't stupid. And you need to be more careful – if it weren't for her you might actually be dead.'

"You need to eat this," Ashei interrupted, suddenly tossing the hot bass into his lap. Some of the salt she had seasoned it with flew off and landed on his arm, scalding him in the process.

"Ow!"

The swordsman avoided her gaze as he dusted himself off, awkwardly fixing his attention back onto the fire. This was going to be a long night. For the first time, he found himself wishing that he could be back in the desert, dealing with its malevolent spirits instead.


	12. A Soft Universe

**Chapter 12 – A Soft Universe**

If not for how inappropriate it would've been, Link wanted to laugh at just how disastrously this mission had gone. After so many near misses, it felt absurd that a single uncoordinated rescue and a hostile dinner – weaponised at his expense – might finally undo his efforts. Yet, here he was now. Forced to tread carefully along the line between his world, and the world of magic and shadows.

Tentatively, he lifted the bass from his legs and took a bite, feeling some warmth and comfort restored to the rest of his aching body. The sound of running water in the back of their shelter confirmed his suspicions that they were somewhere along the border of the Zoran river basin. When he hazarded a glance at Ashei he noticed that she was, in fact, still ignoring him.

"…"

Somehow, this felt far worse than being interrogated about his past in the bar. At least when the warrior _was_ on speaking terms with him, she'd never held anything back. She was unflinchingly… honest. Perhaps, that was why he'd enjoyed her company in some strange way. And despite the fact that he was now, _painfully,_ very human - her dark hair and fair complexion stood out to him in the dim light of the flames. He found her impossible to ignore.

'Talk. To. Her. Now,' Midna urged, losing her patience.

'Shh! I'm thinking of what to say, so I don't make things worse-'

"What was that?" the warrior questioned, whipping up her attention to glare at him.

"I-I said thanks, for the meal," Link struggled, clearing his throat. "Did you eat something before?"

"Mhm." And with that, Ashei looked away from him once more.

'Nice recovery,' Midna sighed, shaking her head.

Link knew that communicating from this point onward was going to be like grabbing an angry goat by the horns. Something that he was admittedly, out of practice with. His brows knitted in frustration before he continued. "So, uh… how long's it been since we've been in here?"

"A couple of hours. We're snowed in, so I suggest you focus on recovering before doing anything stupid."

"No hours of digging and running around in the blizzard?"

Ashei met his eyes for the first time, shooting daggers with the glare she'd used.

"… Got it," he sighed, taking a gamble with the sarcasm.

The warrior scowled, now inching herself away from the fire and the annoying man, who was doing his best to endure her scorn.

Meanwhile, Link was beginning to brace himself for what was to come. The only way out of this mess was to _get_ through it – and deal with the anger as it came. If he wanted to keep on working with the Resistance, then he would simply need to try his best to mend things here. Sitting around in the dark wasn't going to save his reputation in town, nor would it locate the next piece of the Mirror of Twilight.

He also remembered that Midna had told him not to lie. Not that this was one of his strong points. At the very least, he expected the following conversation to be interesting.

"… Look, can we… please just talk about what happened?" he asked, readjusting himself into a more comfortable position. "My memory is all foggy but I remember… the avalanche… and the lake outside, where those wolves were. And I saw-"

"We don't have to do this," Ashei cut in, sounding more uninterested than ever. Her arms were folded beneath her snow cloak, hiding the extent of her injuries from before. "Just… _shut up_ and go to sleep, yeah? We'll find a way out of here and I'll brief you on the job tomorrow."

"Job?" Link repeated, incredulously. His good nature was disrupted and the veneer dropped to reveal a very exhausted, very vulnerable young man. _"Job?_ Seriously?! This isn't just some fun hike in the woods for me!"

The swordsman gritted his teeth, pulling himself upward by his knees. His bangs obscured part of his face but his eyes were narrowed, sharpened with anger. "I care about what's happening out there and I care about _you,_ Ashei! The longer I spent out in that storm, the more I thought I might find you dead. Do you know what that's _like?"_

The warrior locked onto his eyes in response, reading this new reaction for weakness.

"Are you mad at me because I stepped in and stopped those wolves?" he continued. "They could've torn you or anyone out there to shreds. So, is that what this is really about? Your pride as a fighter? You told me to be careful and then _you_ ended up getting hurt!"

For a moment, she looked surprised… but just as quickly, she buried her confusion with cold contempt. "What kind of reckless idiot puts their life at risk for people they don't trust?" she'd asked him, delicately. "You're a liar. And I hate working with liars."

Immediately, the swordsman wanted to eat his words.

So, _this_ was how she saw him, he realised. Back at the tavern and here, now, in this mess. How could he have expected someone to trust him when he hadn't done the same in return? Especially when that person's job was _investigating_ strange events and all he'd ever done was conceal things from her. Poorly.

'Couldn't you have just batted your eyelids at her, instead? You're making things worse!' Midna despaired.

"… Ashei," he faltered. "It's… not that I don't trust y-"

"You don't actually care about me or any of us back in town. We're just here to fill a role for you. So _don't_ go pretending that we're friends. You saved me because you needed information and that's all there is to it."

"I would never do that!" Link defended. He found himself wishing that she'd just chosen to swear at him, or hit him over the head instead. At least it might have been more merciful than that response. "Enough people have died. I wouldn't ever leave you out there because it was convenient, or _use_ you… in any situation. That's not who I am."

 _"Then what am I doing here?"_ the warrior spat at him, her eyes throwing red over the blaze. "All this time, we've been fighting against some faceless threat, yet you have the luxury of choosing what information to give us and what to leave out. You've got _your own_ agenda. One that you still haven't disclosed to us. So yeah, looks like I'm just here to do tricks for you with my head in the sand. And if that's how you want things, so be it."

In light of everything that had happened, Ashei had struggled to bury the notion that they were all pawns in the hand of some greater, malevolent power. All the while, the true identity of their enemy remained unknown to them. These were not the terms of a 'fair' war. And the fact that Link was not what he seemed was further proof that he _knew_ something that no one else did. In her mind, this had rendered everybody else defenceless.

She'd gotten up to leave, wanting to be anywhere else, before the injured hero went to stop her. He reached out, meekly, but she smacked his hand away, sending fresh waves of pain up his arm and into the rest of his body.

 _"Go away,_ Link-"

"I couldn't tell you everything because I made a promise to someone!" he capitulated. This drew some attention, however briefly, from the warrior but he knew he'd have to keep going if he wanted to keep it. "And I can't break it to her, no matter what. But… if you have any _questions_ for me, outside that particular topic… then I'll do my best to answer them, here and now."

Ashei glared at him sceptically, though her anger had receded a little. "You're full of it. Wouldn't you rather I put the blinders back on?"

It hadn't really occurred to her that Link was duty-bound to protect someone else beyond his own involvement in the war. Of course, it seemed obvious now that he might have had such relations with other parties, given his strange powers. She also considered the fact that this might be her only chance to discover what was really happening to Hyrule.

"I mean it. If there's anything you want to know, then ask me now. I won't lie. And I won't dodge the question, unless I have to protect my friend… but I'll tell you if that's the case," Link repeated carefully. "Please, Ashei. I can't do this without you."

She deliberated some more, wondering whether it had actually been easier on everybody to operate under the guise of ignorance. If she learned his secrets, would it bring any material difference to their situation? Or would it simply raise the stakes and make everything worse? But in the end, turning down this knowledge was something that she just couldn't bring herself to do.

With a small inhale, she finally obliged.

"… You're a _wolf,"_ Ashei said in a low voice, reluctantly sitting back down near him, and the flames.

"Well, I'm a Hylian first but… yes. Sort of."

"I checked to be sure but you have the same markings on your left hand. They also match the Triforce insignia on your new blade. Why?"

'Wow, observant,' Midna chimed.

Link smiled awkwardly, knowing that he wasn't as much of an expert on his circumstances as he should have been. Everything had happened to him so quickly after leaving the Ordona Province, that there hadn't been much time to pull it apart. Nonetheless, he decided to settle on keeping his responses factual. And within his ability to answer.

"I'm… not completely sure why but it's… something to do with my lineage, protecting me from dark magic. I was later cursed in wolf form but this sword had the power to make me human again. After that, I retained both forms. So now… I can transform whenever I want."

"You… were cursed?" she repeated.

Ashei had failed to hide the intrigue in her voice, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"By who?"

"The person who's responsible for all of… this," he confirmed. "The one who started this conflict."

"So you _know_ the enemy behind Hyrule's demise? The same one who placed that barrier around the castle?"

"Yeah. I do."

The warrior regarded him with some mixture of exasperation, awe and relief – that _finally_ – they would be able to pinpoint the cause of all the destruction.

"What is it, then?! Don't they have a name?"

Link pressed on, hesitantly, though he could see that Ashei seemed riled up and ready to fight. Midna's silence seemed to confirm that it was alright for him to continue talking, for so long as it meant keeping the human girl on-side.

"There's a King of Shadows. He's a powerful magic user and nobody from our world can see or touch him unless chooses to cross over. That's why you've been fighting in the dark for so long. All these surges in monster activity, and events like Death Mountain growing unstable, or Zora's Domain freezing over, are all connected to him. He's been poisoning our world from afar."

He paused before continuing.

"I don't think I should name him here, not without compromising my friend or drawing his attention. Not that… she has anything to do with this. It's… complicated."

"You've put your faith into this other person, even knowing that you don't have all of the facts?" Ashei found herself asking.

"… I guess I have," the hero smiled, morosely. "And I plan to continue doing so."

The warrior scoffed, though she would never admit that she found his resolve strangely admirable. "At least you've confirmed there's some embodied threat to Hyrule. And we're not just going to hell in a hand-basket for no reason."

"Is that what this feels like?"

Link stopped briefly to consider her perspective. The reality of Ashei's job was fighting an invisible force, with only the damage as evidence of Zant's interference. In her shoes, he might've gone mad.

"I searched _everywhere_ for an explanation," Ashei continued. "And when I couldn't find one, I just… didn't know what to think or what to believe anymore. It was like we'd been abandoned, left to drown by the goddesses. But slowly… the land is restabilising. Through your doing, no doubt."

The swordsman felt his heart begin to race, though he didn't want to argue with her straightforward version of events. He'd always wondered if people would label him a freak or a monster if they'd known about his involvement in the conflict, or if they'd ever seen him in his Twilight form. But the warrior barely faltered. Being a wolf was no big deal to her, as long as he _disclosed_ it beforehand. He recognised in Ashei somebody just as fierce and dedicated to their cause.

"Well, that's why I'm out here now. I've been putting together pieces of… a 'key,' so I can force a meeting with this king and destroy him," Link explained, hoping to omit the rest of the details.

"And you think a piece might be here, now, in the mountain?"

"It's highly likely. Wherever the pieces appear in our world, they act as sort of like… the eye of a storm. They bring chaos to everything around them. And I'm guessing those wolf spirits were new to Snowpeak, right? Otherwise you wouldn't have gone out there alone, after dark," he smirked.

Ashei blinked, wondering when she'd missed the fact that her new colleague was actually perceptive and intelligent. Despite his radiant features and gentle manner. "That's… right."

"The key fragments also cause supernatural events. Things like raising the dead or bringing bad weather, like this blizzard. So, yeah… that's my mission, I guess." Link took in a deep breath, feeling he might've finally won control of the argument. "I'll need your knowledge to succeed, Ashei. But I'd never put your life in danger or use you to get there. I'm really sorry, again… if it seemed that way. I know I've made it hard for any of you to trust me."

The warrior growled quietly as she hunched over, taking a moment to pinch the bridge of her nose. To say that it had been a _stressful_ couple of months was the understatement of the century.

"… No. Stop. I… owe you an apology. _Again,"_ she conceded. "There's so much going on here. You've been taking care of business all this time and I… just lost it, when I saw you transform. It was like everything I didn't know about the world slapping me in the face. This whole thing is my fault."

The swordsman laughed, surprised by the new development. "I'm not mad at you. I mean, you had your reasons."

Ashei raised one of her eyebrows in response.

"What that's it, then? Don't just sit there, _defending_ me," she argued, affronted. "Come at me with something!"

"No way. I saw what you did to that wolf."

A begrudging smile crossed her lips as she regarded him, cynical in her humour. "You're no fun."

"So… ah, what are you gonna do, then? You're the only one who knows about my secret," Link admitted sheepishly, grabbing the back of his neck. "And you could tell the others, if you wanted. I won't stop you if you think they'd share your concerns."

While it caused him no small amount of anxiety, Link had reached the point where he could no longer operate in the dark if it was going to cause any further problems with the Resistance. He'd have to make peace with it, the way he'd had to here, with Ashei.

"I'm not gonna run around town blabbing my head off, if that's what you mean. As for the others… I'll… defer to your judgement. I won't say anything without your consent. On my honour," she promised.

Link inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Here, let me swear on it."

The warrior drew her sword and angled it over the reach of the shallow flames.

"This isn't some blood ritual, is it?" he joked.

"I'm being _serious!_ Hold your sword against mine. Didn't anyone ever teach you the knights' code?" She looked to him expectantly, raising an eyebrow as he scrambled in the dark for his own. After the brief diversion, he crossed blades with hers – in a newfound accord. It reminded him briefly of his encounter with the Hero's Shade.

Silently, he also wondered if they might now be friends. Shad had made it sound like some difficult challenge but Ashei was surprisingly easy to talk to. In fact, having the weight of these secrets off his chest felt amazing, even if it took a mountain falling on him to get there.

"Oh, and thanks… for before," Ashei added quietly, as she sheathed her sword. "You probably… saved my life. I don't normally end up like that. Ugh. Stupid."

"Anytime. Thanks for healing my wounds," Link smiled at her.

The two colleagues eventually turned their attention to the fire, taking a moment to adjust to this new dynamic in their relationship.

'Hey, nice work. I didn't think you'd be able to do it. You're hopeless with women.' Midna praised him, back-handedly.

Link frowned and lightly swiped at his shadow in response, hoping that it wouldn't raise any more questions. It was certainly harder to win one over his most sardonic companion with someone watching.

* * *

Sometime late in the evening, Shad found himself glaring down at the table - or more accurately, an inkwell - that he'd nearly knocked all over his research materials by falling asleep. With a frustrated sigh, he pried himself away from the desk, moving the offending item away to the nearest bookshelf.

'What time could it be now?' he thought, blearily measuring the position of the moon in the sky.

The study lights were burning scarcely once more, though this time he took comfort in the fact that there was nobody around who could possibly be rude enough to barge in and throw things at him, in his current state. After a moment of deliberation, the scholar made peace with the fact that his productivity was spent for the night and decided to fetch some fresh water from downstairs.

He then looked forward to climbing into bed, which still, admittedly, carried scents of fresh grass, pine needles and burnt wood from Link's stay earlier this week. He'd felt guilty about leaving it the way it was, but in a room full of old paper, it smelt incredible by comparison. The scholar quietly settled that what his friend didn't know wouldn't kill him.

After placing his hand on the door handle, Shad stopped abruptly in his tracks, taken out of his thoughts by a noise from nearby.

"Hello?" he called out.

The floorboards creaked in response, sending him a sudden spike of adrenaline.

"Who's out there?"

The scholar swung the door open, wielding the nearest candleholder as a makeshift weapon. Blinking in the shroud of the hallway, he saw the white bundle of hair that was Telma's cat dart across the floorboards and up into the arms of another - someone shorter, and lankier, who seemed bright in the dark.

"… _Ilia?"_ he choked.

"Oh, good evening Shad. Was I being loud?"

After taking a moment to adjust to light, the scholar saw her very clearly now, as the blue of the night sky streamed in through the windows. She hugged Louise, who purred loudly, as she stopped at the end of the hallway.

"Good evening, to you, too. Goddesses, I thought you might be an assailant." Shad sighed, lowering his improvised weapon. "Forgive me, my dear, but what are you _doing_ at this hour?"

"I'm just going for a walk," she said, softly. "Well, I know it's not entirely safe outside and I wouldn't want to trouble Rusl, so… I've been pacing the building. I have some company." Louise meowed quietly in acknowledgment.

Though the younger girl didn't sound particularly frazzled, it was certainly not a normal thing for a day-worker of her calibre to be haunting houses at this hour. And unfortunately, it was still too dark to get a really good look at her face. Taking in this bizarre state of events, Shad decided to press on. Diplomatically.

"I certainly don't mean to be tactless, here but… is everything alright with you? You can always talk to me about it."

"Um… I haven't needed to rest as much, lately. In fact, think it's much nicer to use this time for reflection. It's quiet. Serene. Like the whole world is still for a few hours." Ilia's eyes gleamed a little as she smiled, though it weakly concealed the sorrow in her expression.

"I realise the outright hypocrisy of _me_ saying this but everybody needs proper rest. Unless you've turned into some creature of the night?" the scholar gasped, playing up the weirdness.

"Where would you get a crazy idea like that?" she laughed.

"There are numerous books on the subject. _Most_ of them are terrible! I'll save you the trouble of having to read them… or having to go hunting, in this case."

"You already know too much!" Ilia shook her head as she laughed, again. She was reminded of how oddly someone like Shad might have been perceived in her hometown. Everybody in the city had this strange flair to them, like they were wholly dedicated to their interests to the point of it being a comedic routine. It was certainly never a dull moment with him around.

"Ah, but in all seriousness… what is it that's troubling you?" Shad intercepted, once more. "This doesn't seem like particularly healthy behaviour. N-Not that it shows."

"So, it's okay for _you_ to be up all night?" Ilia sassed.

"I happen to be wired this way. And nice try there, avoiding my question. But of course, I shall understand if you have your own reasons not to tell me."

The fledgling barmaid took a moment to collect herself in front of the scholar's inquisitive eye. Of course, he hadn't wanted to make her uncomfortable. But in contrast, Ilia worried for having relied on him too much. She inhaled deeply before placing her fingers along the sides of her forehead. "Shad… I can't sleep properly at night. And I don't like thinking about it but… I can't do much with this time. This is the best distraction I have."

"Oh, no, Ilia."

Before he could pause to think about it, ever mindful of her personal space, the scholar came in close and pulled her into a gentle embrace. He'd started with one arm, wrapped lightly, _considerately,_ around her back, but Ilia pressed against him in return.

It had only been a couple of days since Link departed - and his goodbye hugs were always the best - but she enjoyed the new touch, especially coming from the courteous scholar. He held her attentively, now with both arms, feeling her head rest upon his shoulder. It might've caused him to blush if every part of him wasn't already glowing with positive energy.

"You'll need to stop or you're going to make me cry," Ilia sniffed, doing her best to smile.

"Have you told anyone?" Shad asked, slowly releasing her. "Link, per chance? I'm certain we could both do more to help you-"

"No, no. Please, Shad. I don't want anyone else to worry about it. Telma's so busy, and I just… have these terrible dreams. I don't feel comfortable telling Link about them… because he's in them."

"Oh, my."

"He's in _all_ of them. I feel like it's driving me mad."

The scholar frowned, failed by his lack of precedence in the matter. Nightmares about loved ones were something beyond his expertise, beyond keeping a dream diary there wasn't much else he felt confident in as a treatment plan. And the problem could never have really _been_ Link, himself. He was always so loving and caring around Ilia. It was impossible.

"… Well, until we can deal with it properly, I could always go with you - outside, if you need company or - a distraction! Yes!"

Carried away by the floodwaters of his excitement, the scholar dashed into the study and turned up the lights. Ilia blinked twice as she walked in, timidly, behind him. They stopped before one of the tidier shelves in the corner, furthest away from his work-area, which was laced with a variety of colourful book-spines in varying sizes. The barmaid soon realised that this must be Shad's 'light reading' section. In comparison to the rest of the room, it was thoroughly kaleidoscopic.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Which of these do you find more compelling? Or, perhaps 'boring' would help, in this case!" Shad winked. "We have Hyrule Historia, a common era Bestiary - uh, if that wouldn't be too unpleasant for you - _decently_ translated Gerudo mystery novels, Zoran poetry, an anthology of the most influential folk stories of our time, Hylian Art Through the Ages..."

Ilia laughed at him freely, feeling some warmth return to her face.

"I know, I know. My cultural collection is somewhat lacking."

"No! This is… I'm very touched, Shad. You're always so helpful. I've read all the books in my room front to cover but it's just so hard to concentrate when I'm so tired," she admitted.

"Well, between you and me, Telma's romance novels are second-rate." The scholar smirked. "And that author… Edo, is it? A total drunkard. You can still see him down at that main bar, in the Western suburbs."

The younger girl giggled quietly into her hands, mostly at Shad's hidden propensity for scandalous gossip. "I'll keep that in mind. And I really appreciate the new material… so, thank you."

He watched over Ilia as she selected a bundle of books from the shelf, one of them containing the legends of the light spirits, and faintly wondered if he were good for _anything_ else, besides reading. What would Link have done in this situation? Taken her to the nearest Fairy Fountain on Epona? All he could do in comparison was read to death. But then, another solution hit him.

"Well, how would you feel we took these to your room and I read them to you, instead?" he asked, softly.

Ilia turned back towards him, cradling the new materials against her lap. She blinked, startled by the generous offer. "But you already have such a heavy workload. I'd feel awful."

"You seem to be forgetting that I am an insatiable reader," the scholar said with a smug expression. "It is no trouble for me. And, well, there's no guarantee it'll _help_ you but… we could give it a try. If you like."

"… I think it might help… to hear your voice," she admitted, looking to the ground.

Ilia had wished to be free of the horrible events that brought her to the city. She wanted to stand as a fully realised adult in the face of the war and to have Link trust in the fact that she was _okay._ However, she conceded the fact that she wouldn't be able to help anyone else in her current state. Healing was going to take more time. And it was completely out of her hands to speed up the process.

"Then it's settled!" Shad exclaimed.

He relieved Ilia of the books in her care and then followed her into the adjacent room.

The white furniture of her bedroom was bright periwinkle in the dark, causing the scholar's eyes to strain as the nearby lamp brightened on. With some hesitation, Ilia then climbed into the bed, propping the pillows under her as she sat forward. Her sheets had already been folded in neatly, in defiance of her insomnia. Though it were an odd thing to notice, the scholar couldn't help being puzzled by the spare curtain tossed over the dresser mirror. However, now was not the time to ask questions.

"Perhaps I should talk softly, so as to avoid getting a crowbar to the face," Shad joked suddenly, clearing his throat with apprehension.

Ilia frowned, a scathing look on her face. "What are you worried about? You're just visiting! I visit you all the time."

"Y-Yes, but… it could be construed differently if I were to impose on your space at this hour. People might think I was being… _advantageous."_ He'd hoped that she could catch his meaning, unlike a certain blonde swordsman.

"It's fine!" Ilia argued. "You're more than welcome in here, Shad. We're friends. And I can make my own decisions about who comes into my room."

"Of… course." With a nervous chuckle, he then considered the books in his grasp.

"So, where would you prefer to start, my lady? Beasts or poetry?"

* * *

"Hey. Before we wrap things up, I've got a lead for us to follow tomorrow," Ashei announced, pulling Link's focus out of the flames. After their prior conversation, he'd found his thoughts drifting erratically between the problems of the light world and those of the twilight. "And I'm all ears if you've got any suggestions for getting us out of this cave. But let's not worry about the details right now. We're both wrecked." She sighed, growing tired at their lack of resources.

"Ah…" Link stalled, taking in the azure gloom of their surroundings.

Slivers of moonlight streamed down from the ceiling, illuminating the rocks and old pieces of driftwood that lay scattered across the ground. Though the main entrance was well and truly blocked off with snow, he noted, once more, that there was indeed a stream in the distance of the cavern. It was enough to give him a hunch.

"I think I've got something. If I transform, I'll probably be able to dig us out of here, without flooding us in. But it'll work better once my shoulder's rested."

"Sure."

Link returned his gaze to the warrior. She sat very quietly to his left, her jaw clenched tightly to stop it from chattering. Ashei was already so pale but he'd noticed a splash of colour on her cheekbones and a bruised tint on her lips. It was easy for him to forget that she was every bit as frail as he was.

"You look _really_ cold."

"There's not enough dry wood for a decent fire in here. But I'm fine," Ashei scowled, breathing into her hands through the crisp air.

"Oh, well… I'm feeling it too," he admitted, candidly. The temperature certainly wasn't helping the lacerations under his bandages.

"Why don't you transform, then?"

"Because the last time I did that, everything went _really_ badly. And it'd still be weird now."

She'd found herself laughing at his response as she threw another bundle of sticks into the hearth. "Well, I'll manage by myself, _thanks,"_ the warrior rebuffed, carefully meeting his eyes.

"Are you sure? It'd probably be easier to manage together."

Though she had suspected as much, Ashei was taken aback by the boldness of what she'd just heard him say. She shot a stern look toward Link who seemed entirely unfazed.

"… Did I say the wrong thing, again?" he asked, frowning.

She gave him a moment for the implication behind his words to sink in.

"Oh… _right._ I didn't mean anything _bad_ or sleazy, I just thought… it would help."

"Are you serious?! That's the worst cover-up story I've ever heard!" Ashei snapped, suppressing the urge to laugh her head off. It certainly wasn't everyday that somebody insinuated themselves into her personal space. "You're unbelievable."

Not knowing how to fix the situation, Link winced as he drew his knees closer to his face. After spilling nearly everything about his secret identity, he knew he'd grown complacent, and that this time, he'd stepped over the line.

It hadn't helped that Ashei was actually - _wildly_ \- beautiful and had probably heard this sort of thing before, in an entirely different context. He supposed that hanging around Telma's Bar would have brought on its own share of admirers and that he, in comparison, must have seemed too naive, too immature, to be taken seriously.

'That's it! That's the final straw. I'm calling an intervention, Link.' Midna observed from the shadows. 'I'm going to have to teach you how to talk to people your age, without making them totally uncomfortable. It's too painful to watch. I'm done.'

Nobody could be more shocked than he was when the warrior quietly got up and sat beside him, draping the side of her coat over his shoulder. He blinked wildly, feeling his heart leap into his throat and adrenaline burst out of his stomach. She looked at him sideways, wearing an incredulous expression.

"… If you tell anybody about this, I will end you. And _no_ touching."

"Y-Yeah, of course… uh, thanks."

Now hyper-vigilant of his own words and actions, Link did his best to steady his breathing and calm himself down.

'Psh. You're lucky you're so pretty,' Midna teased.

He watched nervously as Ashei reached into her pocket for a flask and took a swig of something that burned his nose. "What's that?" he asked, scrunching his face.

"It's whisky. It helps with the cold," she said, giving it a light shake. "Did you want some?"

The swordsman averted his gaze, hit with the sudden realisation of his youth. "I can't 'til my next birthday. If Telma knew, she'd definitely kill us."

"So? You're old enough to die for Hyrule," she reasoned, with devious smile. "One sip isn't going to hurt you, I promise."

"Um… okay, I guess? It can't be any worse than my potions." Link took the open flask to his lips, promptly choking upon the fumes within. The feeling was worsened tenfold as a caustic liquid hit the back of his throat and rained like pins and needles, all the way down. "Wh - _what the f-"_

"Feel the burn? Good. That means it's working."

"You _drink this voluntarily?!"_ he spluttered, regarding Ashei with pure horror. "Is this what I'm supposed to look forward to? It's awful! Don't let Shad bring me anything like this!"

She laughed at his comments, having expected a similar sort of reaction. "I'll have him bring you something lighter. The look on your face, though, priceless."

Their fire dwindled into a benign ember as the night passed, with low flames, but enough heat to last for another couple of hours. Eventually, Ashei grew tired enough to let her head sit _very_ lightly against Link's shoulder. He felt the steel and bones of her upper arm and knees against his side, enjoying the warmth, though she was very much the opposite of soft.

Upon running his fingers over the folds of his bandages, it had suddenly occurred to the hero that she'd had to have pried the upper layers of his clothes off in order to fasten them around his shoulder. He blushed deeply at the thought, before checking-in with her once more. "Sorry about all the blood everywhere – before, I mean," he stumbled through the silence. "It must've been hard to deal with after everything that happened. How's your arm? Didn't you get torn up pretty badly?"

"Yeah," Ashei responded, hissing as she pried back her winter coat. The grey outer-layer of her clothes hung in strips along the arm, matted with blood. And although the wounds underneath were closed, they still appeared to be incredibly raw and ragged, like a series of pink scars inflicted one top of one another. It seemed all the more crude and painful on her delicate wrists.

"Does it still hurt?"

"It burns like hell but after the potion I'll manage. Though, I actually have far less injuries than you do."

'Oh,' he thought, upon realising that she'd noticed the weathered state of his body.

"Anyway, I'm not bothered. I like someone who can take a hit."

"Well… that's good then."

The warrior quietly drifted off some time before he'd closed his eyes, enjoying the earthy scents imbued within the fibres of his tunic.


	13. The Art of Envy

**AN:** This chapter ended up longer than expected... so I've had to break it into two parts. xD And just a heads up, this section will be a little lighter compared to some later ones. The angst is coming!

* * *

 **Chapter 13 - The Art of Envy**

"Ashei, honey! You're back!"

"Hey, Telma. I'll have a shot, if you're serving."

It had been several days since Link left town and nobody knew when to expect news from the Snowpeak expedition until him and Ashei returned from the north. Therefore, it was rather unexpected when the warrior turned up at Telma's Bar one morning of her own accord, feeling rather accomplished… and with the glint in her eye to prove it.

"Starting early, are we?" the proprietress quipped. "Coming right up."

The warrior pulled up a spot at the counter, setting her equipment loudly onto the floor. Telma smirked as she reached towards the back of a shelf for a certain bottle. Though it appeared to be missing an official label, the makeshift cover clearly depicted a skull and bones.

"This stuff will eat through the floorboards if you're not careful," she winked, sliding the glass to Ashei.

Upon hearing the new conversation from the kitchen, Ilia immediately pivoted out to join them. "Oh, good morning! Glad to see you're alright. How'd your trip go?" she enquired. "Link didn't do anything stupid, did he?"

Ashei laughed grimly before she threw the shot back, shaking her head to distract herself from its bite. "We both did plenty of stupid things. But all things considered… I think it went alright. I gave him my rations and hung around the river for a couple of days for support, though it looks like he didn't need it after all. He should be back soon."

"Have to say honey, I'm surprised you came back alone. I take it you finally trusted the boy enough to let him handle things?" Telma enquired, placing her hands on her hips.

"Eh. Turns out he had a couple of skills I didn't. I was only going to slow him down, yeah?"

Ilia giggled a little, in contrast with the warrior's more serious demeanour. Link had obviously grown a lot since they'd left their hometown but in her mind, he was still the same clumsy disaster of a friend - one who always came through when needed - but who lacked cultivation, nonetheless.

"What happened out there? It sounds so exciting, I want to hear about everything!" she gasped.

Ashei met the younger girl's enthusiasm with a faint smile. She clearly imagined the north to be more _adventurous_ than it was dangerous. Or cold, and bitter, and damp. Though the events of the previous week had absolutely worn her out, she found herself caving in to Ilia's questions. Even Telma couldn't hide her curiosity at the contents of their mission. The warrior hated repeating things twice - and Shad was usually the one to record their progress - but in this case she would make an exception.

"And just between us girls, everything you say here will be _confidential…"_ Telma grinned, leaning in over the counter.

Ashei rolled her eyes, refusing to indulge in the older woman's fantasies.

"Right. I'll keep that in mind," she began. "So, I don't wanna shoot myself in the foot here but we started off being snowed into a cave. It could've taken forever to get out… but Link-" The warrior paused for a moment, thinking of how to navigate the following scenario without raising too much suspicion. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on her, given the pains she'd gone through to shake the truth out of the younger man. "Managed to dig us out. My arm got mauled pretty badly."

"… I'm sorry, you were _mauled?"_ Ilia gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"By a pack of wraiths that took the form of wolves. And then an actual wolf appeared, damned monster of a thing." The warrior pulled back her sleeve and removed her crunched up gauntlet to reveal the lacerations from the attack, stretching all the way from her wrist to the inner elbow. With the help of a potion, the wounds had healed into white scars, though some ran rather close to the bone.

"Wow, honey, you've really been through it," Telma said, eyebrows raised. She turned around to fetch the bottle she'd poured before, topping up Ashei's shot glass before letting it sit beside her on the counter.

"It's my sword-hand, too," she scowled.

Ilia frowned back at the warrior, visibly shaken. "That's awful! Ashei, I'm really sorry, I didn't realise something like that had happened to you."

"Don't worry about it, it comes with the job. As long as I look after it and keep on top of my training, it'll be fine." She slammed down another shot of spirits before continuing. "Anyway, don't you wanna hear the best part? Link had this idea to go through the back of the cavern - which ended up being this cramped up _hellhole_ of a place - but then we fell through the floor. And we crashed straight into the Zora's throne room."

"You did what?!" The barmaid gasped.

Telma threw back her head in laughter, wiping tears from her eyes. "Oh, no. Trust you to manage that! I thought at least one of you would've shown more finesse."

"Prince Ralis was pretty shocked," Ashei smirked. "But once the awkwardness wore off, he was more than hospitable. He wanted to know how both of you were doing. Especially you, farm-girl." She tilted her head lightly towards Ilia, who failed to hide her astonishment at this piece of news.

"He gave me this letter - you can relax, I didn't open it - I assume he's writing to thank you again, formally."

"Or… it could be a future _marriage_ proposal!" Telma swooned.

"Thank you, Ashei," the barmaid cut in, swiping the letter from the counter before her employer could get her hands on it. She then stuffed the envelope it into her apron, looking at Telma crossly. "I don't need to be thanked! But… I just hope he's doing better now. He's been through so much, especially for someone so young."

"He'll make a good ruler, he's a mature kid for his age," the warrior praised. "And you did good saving him, especially after everything that happened to _you._ His mother would be proud of you, yeah?"

Ilia blushed as Telma regarded the two with silent approval.

"It's not a big deal. I did what anybody should've done."

"Don't underestimate your good nature, honey. You're a diamond in the rough around these parts. And I'm sure that's why our lovely Prince decided to write to you-"

"Anyway, _moving on_ … _"_ Ashei interjected on Ilia's behalf. "I showed him this sketch of a creature I'd spent the whole day before chasing into the mountains. Turns out, it'd been showing up at the river every couple of days to catch something called a Reekfish. And they're notoriously difficult to catch with a rod."

"Link's really good at fishing," she piped up excitedly. "Something like that and he'd be stuck on the water for days, trying to prove everyone wrong."

 _"Thankfully,_ we didn't have to wait that long. Turns out, the coral on the Prince's earring was just what we needed, so we used that. Only took us a couple of minutes, once we went down to the river basin to give it a shot." As far as field assignments went, this had been one of the more pleasant requirements to fulfil. But it did seem all the more strange that their progress hinged upon pulling a single fish out of the river.

"Quite the dream team!" Telma winked from across the counter.

"Ugh." Ashei began to pour herself a third shot, feeling the warmth of it rushing through her face, down to her fingertips. "Anyway, once we had that as a lead… I decided to take a step back."

"Oh?"

"I knew Link would be able to track it down and handle the rest." She paused before continuing, meeting Ilia's gaze she spoke. The warrior wore a soft smile, one that was rarely used but for moments like these. "He's a really… rare type of guy. You're lucky you've got someone like that on your team, back home."

"He's always been good like that," Ilia relayed, mirroring her endorsement. "And I'm sure Link really enjoyed working with you! You're really impressive, Ashei."

"Stop that, yeah? Link'll be here shortly. You can ask him all about how terrible I am, then."

She took her third shot of her drink, quietly looking forward to the occasion. Talks about the state of the castle would have to wait.

* * *

As the early evening took hold of the city, Shad drifted out of the quiet of his study and descended into the anarchy that was the bar. Though it weren't a full house tonight, the noise levels were voluminous enough to be considered 'busy,' and the smattering of patrons throughout the main floor seemed likely to grow.

The scholar was calmly elated over the fact that he'd almost cracked the code on the Sky Writing, insofar as one could with a series of tattered pages and an ancient plaque. In addition to this good news, he was conscious of the fact that either Link or Ashei were due to arrive any day now, and he wondered if he might be lucky enough to see either of them tonight.

"Well, well. Look who's finally decided to join us!" Telma greeted as Shad took an empty space along the main counter.

"Best of evenings to you, Telma," he smiled, adjusting his glasses.

"Just the usual, then? How's that work going, honey?"

"Fantastic! In fact, never better. Soon I will have a tangible case for us to follow, though there is still so much new information. It is rather a lot to process."

The bar owner set a recently polished wine glass upon the table, pouring a drink as she continued. "Before long, you'll be autographing your own works on the subject. Mark my words, you're well on your way to becoming a heavyweight in the academic community. You should be proud of yourself!"

"Thank you, truly. I… couldn't have done it without your support, Telma," Shad admitted with a nod. "I'll also owe my accolades to Link and Ashei for gathering the necessary resources."

"Well, they're just over there if you wanted to go and thank them now," Telma responded, gesturing to one of the tables situated near the door.

The scholar turned to see the blonde swordsman and dusky warrior sitting opposite one another, drawn into their own conversation. The pair seemed completely untroubled by the chaos around them and their swords were crossed together, tucked under the table.

"Heavens, you're right! I wonder, how long have they been back?"

"All afternoon, actually." The proprietress grinned.

"Ah."

It had struck Shad as somewhat odd that neither Link nor Ashei had gone upstairs to see him upon arriving back, something that he'd grown strangely accustomed to. But before he could think too much about it, he questioned whether he'd perhaps grown entitled to their time… especially given the demands of the mission they'd just shared together.

Though his academic journey had felt akin to facing a hydra - with more questions bursting forth for each one he could answer - he quietly accepted that it wouldn't have compared to the perils faced down by either of them in a single afternoon. Perhaps if he had been somebody else, he might have his own humorous anecdotes to share with his friends. Being shut in a room for several hours a day offered little in the way of bonding with others.

It was enough to make him think twice about interrupting their conversation.

"You've been staring at them for quite some time," Telma prompted. "I thought I suggested going over there and saying _hello."_

"Goddesses, Telma, you startled me!" Shad jumped as he was whisked back into the present.

"What? Did you forget about me, already? … You look like you could use a top-up."

"Yes thank you, my friend. That would be lovely."

The fiery redhead filled his glass once more, after having watched the scholar drink it all in one sitting with his attention across the room.

"I… suppose their last assignment went very well, then?" Shad asked, quietly.

"Well honey, they're both _alive,_ so I'd say so. I'm sure they could tell you about in greater detail if you went over there for yourself."

His eyes, which were the deepest shade of purple in the dim lights, glanced back and forth between Link and Ashei. He followed as the swordsman, who happened to be facing away from the bar, said something to the warrior that resulted in her laughing and shaking her head. It was here that he noticed something new that he hadn't been able to place before.

Was she… happy? Or at the very least, _not_ annoyed.

The more experienced fighter was usually in the habit of interpreting her surroundings with a grain of salt, which often resulted in a haughty expression, under which most men would crumble. And she relished in that power. Even on her best days, Ashei wielded her cynicism like a weapon.

But watching her now, the scholar could see that the knives were, curiously, lowered. Her face carried a fluidity that suggested a level of ease and comfort around the younger man that hadn't been there before. She smiled freely in his presence and had no trouble touching him on the arm, leading him to believe that whatever doubts she seemed to have about Link were now either well-hidden, or quite simply, gone.

Shad fought against an unrest that began creeping into his palms and gnawing at his stomach. It felt cold and electrifying all at once. "I wouldn't want to intrude on what appears to be a… _moment,"_ he said, finally.

Telma glared at the back of his head, frustrated by the scholar's unsettling reaction. "Now you're just being _rude,_ honey."

"You're not feeling jealous, are you?" Ilia piqued. She folded her arms and leant over the counter as she spoke.

"Oh Goddesses! Ilia!" Being caught by the barmaid in such a vulnerable moment sent the scholar over the edge, his face stinging with embarrassment. "Ah… haha! Surely not. W-What would I need to be jealous of?"

The younger girl wore an ambiguous expression, though she did little to hide her amusement. "Come on, Shad. I mean, even _I_ am… a little. Link's never had other friends around his age before. And they have so much in common, don't they?"

Of course they did, Shad argued to himself. How could the two youngest fighters in their group - who showed promise beyond their years - possibly _not_ have anything in common?

Link had confided in the scholar about his fears of being an oddity in his home village. Yet, here he was now, excelling at something he was clearly put on this earth to do. Years of experience had been condensed into months of training. And miraculously, he only seemed to be growing stronger. In comparison, Ashei turned her back on the social norms one might expect of a woman of her age and had beaten the city guards at their own game, if her employment history was anything to go by. She had turned combat into a way of life - a philosophy, in which one could only be as strong as they were authentic.

For either of them, spending the night in a tavern might have been a luxury. One that could never live up to the excitement of life on the road.

"I suppose they do," he conceded.

Ilia smiled back at Shad as he turned around, meeting her softer viridescent eyes for the first time.

"But on the other hand, I'm really glad Link gets to meet new people. He would never have gotten to do any of this back at home. And I knew he'd settle in, with time. Ashei seems happier, too."

Shad watched as the two fighters initiated an arm-wrestling match on the table, with Link using his non-dominant right hand and Ashei using the side on which she wore a compression bandage… obviously going for comedic effect.

For an intense moment they were locked together, and the warrior looked as though she might be in pain, before she'd slammed the younger man's hand down onto the table with a loud _smack._ Ashei appeared to be scolding Link - presumably for throwing the match - before he'd dodged the napkin she scrunched up and threw in his direction. The two then burst into laughter, drawing the attention of the patrons around them.

"Wow! I don't think I've ever seen her act so silly," Ilia observed.

The scholar blinked, self-conscious, at last, of how long he'd been staring from across the room. "Link certainly has a way with people," he began. "He is just so personable and _talented._ And-"

"Beautiful," Telma declared unabashedly, coming back to their conversation.

"Incredibly so! I mean, the _ordinary_ amount, as far as nice appearances go…" Shad struggled.

"Just go over there already, honey. And stop being so miserable! You're a grown man whose career is about to take off! Show some confidence and…" Telma stopped short as she noticed Ashei and Link initiating round two of their arm-wrestle, this time, pushing their chairs behind them and standing over the table. "For the love of Nayru, please _stop_ them before they smash something. Do you have any idea how many glasses I go through in a week?"

"I can make no promises, Telma."

Shad took a moment to collect his thoughts, unused to the strange energy that had taken hold of him in this moment. The proprietress watched with folded arms as he finally plucked the courage to get up and leave, taking another sip of wine as he went.

"He can really be over-flustered at times, can't he?" Ilia sighed, observing the situation at hand.

"Oh, honey if you only knew."

'It's only Link,' Shad told himself as he drew closer to the table. 'It's only Ashei. You've spoken to each of them at length, why should this evening be any different?'

"What? You mean it was in _there_ all this time?" Ashei said, through gritted teeth.

From their corner of the room, the two fighters managed to throw off the scrutiny of the customers sitting nearby, lending the opportunity to continue their conversation mid-wrestle. Link did his best to channel his weight from the floor, determined not to lose this second match. His cerulean eyes were narrowed in focus, throwing cool concentration against Ashei's fiery gaze.

"Oh, so you knew about the mansion?" he grinned before angling the warrior's hand that much closer to the table's surface.

"Well, duh. But that's just _embarrassing,_ I could've saved us a lot of trouble… if I'd just walked in there from the start…"

The younger man finished the match with a _thud,_ though he'd broken into a sweat that streaked once down his forehead.

"Don't tell Shad about this. It would ruin me." Ashei growled at the swordsman from across the table, catching her breath. "Oh. And good match."

"Pray tell, what is it that you don't want me to hear?" the scholar interjected, wearing a smile.

"Hey there! Shad!" Link beamed at the older man and then pulled up a seat from nearby.

"Not another word, Link," the warrior warned. Almost immediately, she seemed to shift back to her surlier personality.

"It's nice to see you both in one piece!"

"Barely," the hero laughed.

"I found myself wondering if you might be back this afternoon. What an uncanny coincidence," the scholar remarked as he joined them, tentatively resting his wine glass upon their table.

"Well, it's been a long journey. Feels good to be back, though. We're finally making some progress," Ashei sighed, throwing a tired smile Shad's way.

"You shall have to tell me all about it!"

"Give a bit, yeah? I think it's time for a refuel, though." The warrior rose from her seat and slinked casually over to the bar, leaving behind a rather dangerous looking bottle on the table. With some relief, Shad took the opportunity to turn his attention towards Link, who seemed to be overflowing with enthusiasm - far more so than when he'd returned from the desert on his previous assignment. The scholar knew he didn't have long but there were questions he'd been dying to ask.

"So, just between you and me, old boy… how did it all go?" he whispered, keeping a light tone. "Working with Ashei can be arduous in itself."

"Actually… that part went pretty well," Link relayed, eyes wide with excitement.

"Truly?"

Shad hadn't expected this answer to come so easily and it showed on his face.

"The mission though, that sucked. Everything that _could've_ gone wrong did. And we, uh… both nearly died at one point."

The scholar looked back in disbelief, his indigo eyes now positively wide with horror. "… Y-You nearly… _died?_ What in Din's name happened out there?!"

Link suppressed a laugh, having lost count of the other times death had nearly struck him down. "It's a long story, I'll explain later," he said quickly, scanning the bar for the warrior. "But Ashei ended up being there for me when I needed it. There was also… lots of fighting in the beginning. I think she feels guilty about that too, so she's been really nice to me ever since."

Of all the words Shad could use to describe Ashei, 'nice' was certainly not in the top ten. "I must say, I'm rather impressed," he admitted, with great awe and a mild tremor in his hands. "How ever did you manage to fix a situation like that?"

"Well, there was a cave and-" Link stopped short, upon seeing the ebony-haired girl turn around at the counter. "Uh, we spent the night together. It was great! But I'm not allowed to talk about it, or she'll kill me-"

Shad, who had taken a sip of wine at this point, inhaled sharply and began to cough into his hands. The mere thought of either of them _out_ of their armour sent him bright red and the critical components of his brain seemed broken for a moment, trying to counter his physiological responses.

Surely the young swordsman hadn't meant it that way. How could he? Wasn't the temperature dangerously low? In addition to that, there was simply no way for Shad to believe that his friend would ever allow herself to be _that_ unprofessional in the field. Ashei was a headstrong worker. She was incredibly serious and _proud._ None of this theory made any sense.

But then again, if nothing had _happened…_ why wouldn't she have wanted Link to say anything?

"That's really good news about your research, Shad!" Link said as the warrior approached them with a new bottle of spirits. The scholar blocked most of his face with his hands, now suspiciously unresponsive, as Ashei joined them once more.

"What's with you?" she said, bluntly.

"… N-Nothing… I… I was just thinking what lovely… _wine this is…"_ Shad trailed off as the colour drained out of his face, turning him paper-white.

"Why don't you tell both of us how it's going? With your book translations?"

Link found himself nudging Shad lightly under the table with his foot.

"Oh… my books. Yes."

The scholar took another admittedly _heavy_ mouthful of wine before he spoke again. If anything could've saved him in this situation, he conceded that it was definitely his research. Link certainly had some quick wits about him in the face of imminent danger.

"Yes, it's all coming along! I've certainly made my way through most of _that_ book, now. However, I've found a rather troublesome bit of information regarding the Sky Cannon. Beyond my father's own field notes, this is the first time I've seen it recorded within a text."

"The what?" Ashei enquired.

"Honestly, do you even pay attention when I talk about my research?" Shad sassed, finding himself more comfortable with the routine at hand.

"I'm not in a position to pass this stuff on if you have some unfortunate accident with your books, if that's what you're expecting."

"No matter. I do rather enjoy talking about it," he sighed.

"Moving on, I've learned of some ancient statues that trace their origins back to the Sky. If they were to remain intact, even now, they could lead me to the fabled Sky Cannon itself. So my plan is to eventually… set forth and seek them out… by _travelling_ on the roads. Perhaps they will imbue some of their knowledge unto me."

Link's face lit up with eagerness that eventually, he'd get to continue his journey alongside the elegant scholar. It was certainly going to be interesting showing the well-mannered, albeit _sheltered_ man around in a world he'd only just gotten to see for himself. "Wow, Shad! That's really gutsy of you!" he encouraged, a little too loudly. "Let me know when you're going and I'll come help out."

"Please, don't sound so surprised," Shad laughed.

The warrior smirked at the two from her side of the table, noxious as ever from the spirits in her hand. "It's about time you kicked it out of here, yeah? Spend too long in the city and the next thing you know, you're shanking someone in an alley over the same colour tie."

"Do people really do that out here?" Link questioned, faintly.

"Anyway, I'm really happy for you, Shad. I think you'll enjoy it… doing some hands-on investigating, for a change."

"Oh, certainly. We can't all be as experienced in _that_ area," the scholar shot back at her, with more than a hint of snark over humour.

The swordsman's eyes flickered uncertainly between the two friends, sensing the weird energy. His instincts told him to sink under the table where he might've been safer with Midna.

"Excuse _you!_ What's the deal with that remark?"

"I simply saw the opportunity for one of your usual jokes," the scholar recovered, flawlessly. It seemed to work as the warrior merely scowled before placing her drink back down on the table. The young hero sighed with relief, feeling as though a bomb had been defused.

"In any case, I am still, incredibly indebted to both of you…" Shad continued. He then ran his fingers nervously through his russet hair, taking in Ashei's subdued reaction with some guilt. "I apologise if I'm coming across as… frustrated."

"Hey, it's fine." Link smiled, patting him on the arm diplomatically. "You're onto something really important here and we want you to succeed! But maybe it's time for a night off, if all you're doing is… this. I mean, everybody here gets to hang up their sword - but do you ever get to hang up your… quills?"

"I hardly think my study-load counts for strenuous work," he chuckled, gracious for the swordsman's words.

"No. Link's right." Ashei, who had only recently toyed with the idea of throwing down the gauntlet at him, rose to her feet with a new idea. "You spend too much time shut up in there and you said _yourself_ that you find it easier to think outside. We're gonna drag you out. For your own good."

"Out?" Shad repeated. Of all the things he'd expected to come out of this evening, hitting the town in a merry band of friends was the last thing on his mind.

"Yes. And if you happen to come up with any ideas on how to tackle the castle while we're out, it'd make our next meeting a little more interesting."

The scholar stopped short, feeling as though the weight of the world had come crashing in through the ceiling. "The _castle?_ Do you even hear yourself right now?" He'd nearly shouted, drawing stares from Telma and Ilia across the bar. "How on earth are _we_ going to manage _that,_ given the current state of events?"

"It's not as out of reach as you seem to think," Ashei levelled, completely serious. "And if we don't start thinking about it now, we won't be ready for it when the time comes." She proceeded to down the rest of her drink from the bottle, leaving the shaken man to his thoughts.

 _The castle._

Just how long had it been since _anyone_ could casually stroll through the city, unperturbed by the barrier in the sky? It hung in the air like a terrible omen of what was to come.

"Oh, and I'll be leaving town soon with Rusl," Link prompted. "So, uh… this might be my last night off in a while. C'mon, we won't be out too long. We'll just go for a lap around the markets."

Shad watched as he caved in immediately under the hero's brilliant gaze, feeling slightly ashamed at himself for his lack of willpower. "… That's more than fine, old boy. Yes. Alright. Let us all go, then."

"Good. I miss our night walks," Ashei admitted. Her eyes flickered with something that might have been sentimental, if not for her flippant tone.

"Who is this _nice_ Ashei and what have you done with the original?" The scholar blushed back at her, though his tone was mocking.

"You'll be meeting her in a second if you don't shut up."

"Oh, and let's invite Ilia!" Link suggested. "I'll be right back, Telma will have to say yes."


	14. With Your Bare Hands

**AN:** One of these days I will write a concise chapter. Today is not that day. xD;

* * *

 **Chapter 14 - With Your Bare Hands**

"I feel really bad about leaving Telma, again!" Ilia protested. "Can we not stay out too late?"

"Worried she can't handle the night crowd by herself?" Link teased. "I'll tell her you said that! Then she'll give you a week off."

Ashei regarded the two wryly, enjoying their company for the first time. "With those innocent faces, all you'd need to do is _ask._ She'd probably help you rob the bank if it kept you happy."

Wondering how he'd been roped into an excursion on the town, in tow with the charming Ordonians and thoroughly intoxicated warrior, Shad joined the group as they began their lap of the street. He'd brought with him a single notebook, on the off chance he thought of something new during the trip.

The surrounding streets were a hive of activity, with small crowds of people gathered at the various stalls and buildings lining the southern road. Daubs of colour and lights dotted the main thoroughfare, from the bricks and vines on the walls, the flickering of the street torches and the artisanal goods on display. It was remarkably easy for one to forget about the barrier on the other side of town, which did little to dampen the spirits of the southern suburbs.

The scholar was still making up his mind as to whether he would indulge the anxiety of dealing with the castle tonight. He glanced sideways at Ashei, who seemed strangely content, though the scent of booze unfurled in the air around her.

"AHH!" Ilia exclaimed, snapping Shad's attention back to the street. She stumbled backwards as a tan-coloured puppy ran in front of her on the path, its tail wiggling happily at the odd group.

 _"Ilia -"_

With luck, the uncoordinated scholar was able to catch and steady the younger girl instantly, though he dropped his notebook in the process. The dog barked at the pair in excitement before grabbing the exciting new toy and bolting away into the side street.

"Oh, no! Shad… I'm so sorry!"

Ilia turned to face him with an apologetic frown, her pale hair mussed up from the fall. She wondered how she could _still_ be so clumsy despite balancing several plates and cups into Telma's kitchen on a daily basis. But as always, Shad met her gaze with calm concern, his hands gently securing her shoulders. "It wasn't a very important one." He assured. "Are you alright, my dear?"

"Yes, I'm fine… Ugh, I get really jumpy when I'm tired. But thank you."

The warrior and hero stood behind the two, wearing very different expressions. Link's face had fallen into an uneasy frown, consumed by the guilt that he'd fumbled so easily fixed. He questioned whether his reactionary instincts might've been dulled by the city itself. But then, it occurred to him that he might still be able to help the dashing scholar with his own dilemma.

"Just a second, guys. I think I can get it back," he grinned, before chasing off after the puppy.

"Oh please, Link, you certainly don't _need_ to…! And he's gone."

In opposition, Ashei who'd now been left alone with the pair, looked terribly annoyed. Without really knowing why, or doing anything to stop it, she could feel her eyes lock onto Shad's hands. Which still happened to be on Ilia's shoulders. Was it an innocent gesture? Or were they closer than she'd initially thought?

And although her vision was slightly glassy from the rush of alcohol and the burning lights, she couldn't help but notice the smoothness of his skin - entirely unmarred by a life of books - against the intricate fabric of Ilia's shirt. Powerless, watched as Shad released her slowly, his face brimming with his fondness for the younger girl.

"She's not made of glass, y'know." The warrior tried to sound light-hearted in her tone but she had failed to do so. Terribly. And everyone had noticed.

Shad blinked twice, turning his intelligent gaze up at the tipsy woman. Ilia followed his example. "If anything here should be made of glass, it would be that ego of yours. Goddesses save _any_ man who should try to catch you from falling," he answered, curtly.

Ashei was acutely aware of the fact she'd been through this all before - and that her temper had ruined more than one evening in recent memory - but the floodgates rumbled with discontent, threatening to destroy everything in their path. She had held herself back in the tavern… but now? Shad was definitely _asking_ for it.

"You think _I've_ got a glass ego?" the warrior bit back at him. Her voice was beginning to bounce off the side of the buildings. "You know how to dish it out at the bar - but out here, you can't even take a single joke!"

"Tsk. Here we go again, causing a scene." Shad gestured towards her, rolling his eyes. Truthfully he hadn't wanted Ilia, of all people, to see him behave in such a discourteous manner… but tonight, Ashei was really bringing it out in him. If she wanted an argument, she was going to get one.

"Curious, isn't it, that you should begin to act in such a manner without Link here to keep you down?" he continued in a cavalier tone.

"And what the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"Perhaps you could enlighten me as to what you think it does."

"Oh, that's it, Shad. You're _done,"_ Ashei snarled, feeling a nerve touched upon. "If you wanted a scene, I'll _give_ one to you now-"

"You can stop me if I'm wrong, but I think you're both the type to want to catch others, instead. That's why you started working for the Resistance!"

In an unprecedented change of events, Ashei put her feud with the scholar on hold and looked directly at Ilia. And then she stalled, looking slightly embarrassed under the smaller girl's inquisitive gaze. Did that really just happen? How could somebody so gentle have disarmed her so easily? In the most frustrating manner, it reminded her of Link.

"And that's what makes you so unique! You're passionate about protecting others," the barmaid continued. "You and Shad are pretty similar, after all."

" _What…?"_

The warrior and the scholar looked to each other, momentarily confounded.

Ashei had wanted to laugh at Ilia's boldness but the timing was off. And she was still _mad_ at Shad for being too clingy for his own good. She searched the scholar's face, connecting with the nervous flicker of indigo behind his glasses and soft eyelids. He seemed exhausted, and perhaps weighed down by nights of unrest… not that this had any impact on how handsome he really was, behind that barbed tongue.

'Oh, for f… Are you _kidding_ me?!'

Almost immediately, Ashei turned away in an effort to obscure her reaction. She glared down at the pavement as the anger washed away, drowning in a new feeling that was so _foreign_ and awkward, it made her all the more dizzy.

'Not this again. We've been _through_ this. No.'

Was it the alcohol? It had to be, there was _no other_ explanation for that stupid feeling resurfacing, especially at a time like this.

"… Well! Never in all my years have I seen that one deactivated so quickly," Shad recovered breathlessly, raising his eyebrows at Ilia. "You certainly know how to kill others with kindness." The young barmaid winked back at him, mimicking Telma in a way that was eerily similar to Link's impression of the proprietress. "I learn from the best."

"Hey."

Suddenly, Link was beside the scholar, smiling as he presented the notebook. To the rest of the group, the blonde swordsman was a welcome sight, especially after the _unpleasantness_ that had erupted in his absence.

"Oh, my! You didn't!" Shad gushed. Admittedly, he'd also been feeling the after-effects of his wine and failed to reign in his excitement as a result. He tucked the book under his arm and enclosed his hands around the swordsman's rough leather gloves, beaming at him in thanks. "Link, you are a paragon."

The younger man found the gesture unexpected, but he squeezed his hand back gently, welcoming the attention. "Um, sorry about the teeth-marks. He just wanted someone to play with him."

"You always were better with animals…" Ilia admitted, with some reluctance.

It was then that the swordsman noticed Ashei turning away from the others with her arms folded. She happened to be staring at the ground, as though it were a cliff she was considering jumping from.

"… Hey, Ashei? Is everything good?"

For a moment he'd gotten no reaction, which he'd known to be a very _bad_ thing where she was concerned, until she looked up at him with a faint smile. Though it had taken some time to get used to their new friendship, the warrior regarded his presence with an honest warmth, welcoming the reprieve from Shad.

"I was just thinking, there's a new armour shop around here that I wanna check out. Sounds interesting, yeah?" Ashei responded. "And maybe I can finally get this fixed." She held up the pieces of her right-hand gauntlet, which still clung to her arm but offered very little in the way of protection after the snow wraiths.

"Sure! I'll have a look with you," Link nodded. "Not that I need the new equipment."

He'd secretly wondered whether the armour given to him by the light spirits offered anything else in the way of protection, or if it had been sheer stupid luck and learning on-the-go that had kept him alive. However, part of him was happy to leave it as a mystery, for fear of that luck running _out._

"If we are headed in this direction, then I might stop by the book store before it closes," Shad added, interrupting the swordsman's morbid train of thought. "There might also be something in there of interest to you."

Ilia laughed at him, appreciating the gesture. She brushed lightly against his arm as they set off, continuing their lap down the busy street. "You've already got so much to choose from! But I'll let you surprise me, if you like."

Ashei bit down on her lip as she drifted behind them, with Link following leisurely at her side. She then looked down to see him offer his own arm in support, having nearly walked into it as she glared at the back of Shad's head. "I'm not _that_ far gone," she scoffed.

"… I could hear you shouting from a mile away." He smiled at her, maintaining a non-judgemental tone.

"And you're not afraid of losing that arm?"

"Haha! I think you're forgetting who won our last match."

With a sigh, she hesitantly entwined her own arm within Link's, figuring that it couldn't have been much stranger than using him as a pillow.

* * *

Before long, Shad and Ilia had disappeared into the book store, which was situated in one of the city's older buildings along the main concourse. Glowing torchlights adorned the main entrance, next to a generously sized window-front, through which one could glimpse the various shelves on display.

The swordsman and the warrior were seated along the guttering of the building from across the street, creating a moment of stillness in the disarray of the crowds. The occasional pedestrian would turn their head towards the striking younger man and his green outfit, before glancing at the armoured girl at his side. Though Link didn't seem bothered by the attention, Ashei found herself questioning whether this were a common occurrence for someone like him.

Of course, it was entirely possible that others might've also written the hero off as harmless - as _she_ had mistakenly done - if his face were anything to go by.

"You know, there was something I was meaning to ask you…" Link said, turning his attention to the warrior and away from the streets.

"Hmm?"

"It's about when we were out there, back in the snow. I…" He paused for a moment before he smiled, embarrassed. "I thought you were awesome. At fighting, I mean. How'd you learn to do that? Holding everything off with just a sword?"

"Oh, that."

Ashei smirked back at him, still riding the waves of inebriation from the bar. No matter the context, fighting technique was a subject she could really get behind, and she'd had few to share it with apart from Rusl. "My father taught me that too, he's a retired knight. Most of it's in the footwork. You've gotta avoid the hits as much as possible and turn them into glancing blows. You won't stay alive long if you're getting hit with full force."

She demonstrated the principle with her hands as she spoke, watching the azure of Link's eyes flicker with each movement. Despite his laid-back nature, he was forever focused on a practical level. "Can you teach me?" he asked, meeting her reserved expression with enthusiasm.

Unable to help herself, she laughed.

"I-I mean, only if you'd _want_ to," he clarified. "If it isn't some secret family technique, I'd understand if it was…"

"Oh look, I don't have any problems from that perspective, yeah?" she assured, shaking her head. "But given the time we have now, and the fact that you've been fighting a different way all along, I think it'd only mess up your current technique on the battlefield."

Ashei gestured toward the heavy-weighted Hylian shield strapped to his back. It was of handsome make, coloured primarily with royal blue and adorned with a red crest and yellow Triforce, which were characteristic of the town's craftsmen. "If something works for you, you should stick with it," she said, bumping him lightly on the arm.

"Ah, you're right," he chuckled. "I shouldn't be switching it up at the moment. And I have another teacher who'd cut off my legs, if I did."

"It would've been better if you'd come to me early-on… though, I'd happy to show you later, once you get your own skills down. If we're both still lucky enough to be here."

Link looked up excitedly in response, feeling some new motivation to practice. "Yeah! I'll challenge for you it, then!"

"That said, your footwork could use some polish now," the warrior informed, regarding him with some faux-seriousness. "And I'd _know_ from all those cuts and bruises." Her steel fingers jabbed straight into his ribs, causing him to shout suddenly. She laughed at his expense, drunkenly aware of how girly it had sounded.

"But Ashei, that wolf got me all the way _up here…"_ the swordsman grinned back at her, grabbing his shoulder in jest. He omitted the part where he'd gained several new ice burns on his legs from the Freezards in the mansion. Those ones were definitely going to leave a nasty mark.

"Oh, you smug bastard. I'm never helping you again." She moved to jab Link in the ribs again but missed, ignoring the people on the street who stared with disapproval as they walked around the boisterous pair.

"Let's try your fancy technique now, then! If you're the expert," Link dared, jumping to his feet.

The warrior smiled back at him dangerously, confident despite the fact that everything in the background was mostly a blur.

"Alright, kid. First lesson, don't trip over."

From beyond the window, Shad had stopped from around the corner of one of the bookshelves, allowing most of it to conceal him from the street. Nervously, he fidgeted with the book in his grasp, running his fingers along the spine as he watched Link and Ashei beginning to pace around each other without their weapons drawn. It looked like a strange dance, until they began to strike with their feet, dodging in opposition.

The interior of the shop itself was much warmer than the pavement outside, or so the scholar reasoned when he exhaled deeply, flushed from the excitement.

"Shad…?" Ilia crept up silently behind him, having observed this behaviour earlier at the bar. It seemed that he hadn't heard her. Not that she'd done much to alert him to her presence. "Shad," she prompted again, firmly.

"Oh, Ilia! … You caught me."

"If you stared at them any harder, you'd be a puppy looking for adoption," she reprimanded, folding her arms with a smile.

"It is petty of me, isn't it?" Shad sighed, turning to face her with a look of defeat.

"Is this about your fight with Ashei? And her _maybe_ being a little different with Link around?"

"Perhaps," he admitted, embarrassed. "It's not that I mind their friendship or the… antics. It would be a crime if they were not to get along as they are, now. But I can't help but feel awful. You see, it took _me_ such a long time to get to where I am now… with others."

Silhouetted against the window, he seemed more withdrawn and vulnerable than ever before. "Did you know, Ilia, before I became a regular at Telma's Bar, I never really had many 'friends,' as such? I always told myself to concentrate on my studies, with the mind that everything else would fall into place."

Ilia blinked slowly, sensing that this was a new side of the scholar that she hadn't experienced first-hand. Of course, she'd noticed that Telma was adamant about keeping the young man's confidence in check but him _allowing_ her to see it lowered was, quietly, jolting.

He swallowed quietly before continuing, holding all of her attention.

"Of course, once my father passed and I moved into my own house, I was faced with the reality of… how incredibly lonely my life was. For a time after that, my only companion was a stray cat." He laughed.

"There are so many people in the city. I would've thought you could never be lonely here," Ilia said, curious of his tale. "But I think I understand what you mean. You weren't connected to anyone?"

The pair began to step away from the shop-front, shuffling in single-file along a narrow walkway between the shelves. "Not particularly," Shad continued, with a shrug. "I admit this was my own doing. However, when the Resistance formed, I felt like I could belong _somewhere_ for the first time."

Ilia stopped to grab the scholar by the arm. He froze in his tracks at the gesture, feeling the pull of her vivid eyes on his shoulder. "And you always will!" she argued. "Every one of us admires you for your work, Shad. And as a person, you're so brave and selfless. You were the best thing to come out of… that whole… _whatever_ happened. I can't imagine what it would be like if we'd never met."

"Ilia…!"

"Why don't you believe any of us when we tell you how important you are?"

Shad turned to face her anxiously, struck speechless for a moment. "… I just find myself questioning if whether… outside of this crisis, and our organisation…" He paused, putting a hand to his face in frustration. "I don't believe I have much at _all_ in common with the others. And if this ordeal were to end, then I wonder if I might be forgotten, and doomed to return to my old life. The one I hated."

As forcefully as she could muster, the spritely young woman pulled him into a hug, nearly knocking his round glasses off. She squeezed tightly around his ribcage, wanting to crush the darker fragments of his emotions into dust.

Given the tightness of the room, the two had also nearly crashed into the side of one of the bookshelves, prompting the shopkeeper sitting at the counter to roll his eyes. For the veteran retail attendant, the amount of couples who regularly came into this establishment to be 'affectionate' was nothing short of nauseating. When Ilia finally released him, Shad knew that some part of him had been switched back on. He felt brighter now than he had all evening.

"Th-Thank you…" he muttered, looking to the floor.

"Don't thank me, silly!"

The barmaid regarded him with a stern gaze, which eventually fell away as she spoke. "It might take time to adjust but you'll always have friends! You'll always have me. I'll write and visit you whenever I can. Once this is all _over_ and it's… time for me to go home."

The words had struck the scholar like lightning, sending him cold all at once. Though he'd suspected as much throughout the duration of her stay, the fact remained that Ilia _wasn't_ going to be here forever. She had her own life to return to, and her own obligations to her town and family. If anything, sending the shaken girl who'd wandered into Telma's all those months ago back to the place where she belonged _should_ have been the defining moment of her rehabilitation.

But Shad hadn't wanted to let her go. The thought alone rendered him nauseous.

"Link seems to like traveling all over the place. He'll probably be in town all the time," Ilia continued, maintaining her positive tone. "And Ashei's been here a while, hasn't she? Especially for someone who hates crowds."

The scholar sighed heavily as they meandered towards the counter, taking one final glance over the books on display. "I imagine that Link must feel at home anywhere that he goes." He smiled, wondering how the radiant swordsman must be faring outside.

"I don't think that's _completely_ true, but he is good with people. He has a natural ability, especially around kids and animals."

The store attendant appeared to be scowling, wishing that this latest dramatic couple would hurry up and leave.

"As for Ashei, she takes some time to warm up to others and she has a _temper._ But behind that, she is a very intelligent woman. Even known to be generous, on occasion."

"I still wear her pajamas," Ilia giggled.

"But perhaps she is too proficient to be bothered with other people… especially those who are not exactly… as _strong."_ Saying it out loud felt ridiculous, of course; but the scholar quietly panicked at the depth of this insecurity. To him, it seemed that anybody who wasn't as athletic as the warrior was instantly branded an 'idiot.'

"Don't be dense, Shad. Haven't you ever noticed how much she cares about your work?"

He blinked slowly and gripped to the notebook at his side. "My work."

And then, something subtle caught his attention. Near the counter - where the now _profoundly_ annoyed attendant was seated - sat a small section of books based on architecture. Shad's eyes widened and flailed upon their detection.

"THE CASTLE!" he shouted, causing everybody in the shop to jump. "There are resources here on the _castle…_ and surely there must be more, in the state library! Ilia, you are brilliant. Truly brilliant!"

"B-But I didn't do anything!" she protested, fearing the maniacal look upon his face.

* * *

Now that they were on talking terms again, Ashei looked quietly pleased with Shad about wanting to locate the castle's blueprints. Somehow, they'd drifted together as the group continued their stretch of the main street, and it seemed like _most_ of the alcohol-fuelled anger from before had waned. However, it was clear that the awkwardness of their earlier fight hadn't quite disappeared. Neither of the offending parties were able to hold the other's eye contact for longer than a second. And so, the Ordonians were content to give them some space, for the time being.

"There it is. Are you coming in, or what?" the warrior prompted, drawing Link's attention to the armoury.

He glanced over the rustic exterior of the shop, which happened to be another older building, beset by street vendors for antiques and other ornate pieces of metalware. "It looks… pricey." He frowned, thinking back to the start-up shop run by Malo back in Kakariko Village.

"Well, these ones won't kick you out for wearing those boots," she said, tilting her head down. "And I'm not skimping out after what happened to my arm."

Shad suddenly turned his head towards Ashei, his curiosity piqued. "… Your arm?" He noticed the compression bandages wrapped all the way up her arm in the bar, though he hadn't pressed for details.

The warrior glared back at him at first, before reigning in her expression with some effort. Fighting with the scholar was definitely becoming tiresome. "Oh, right. I didn't tell you." She pulled off the gauntlet to reveal the extent of her injuries from the mountain, wearied by having done so repeatedly since coming to town. It certainly made sense to her why Link kept the condition of his body as low-key as possible.

"Dear Goddesses!" Shad gasped, his eyes flickering over the scars.

"Don't make a big deal out of it."

"… I… I am terribly sorry, Ashei. That looks awful."

Rolling her eyes, she then turned to enter the shop with the young hero in pursuit. Shad and Ilia settled upon moving to the nearest street corner, watching the ebbing crowd. "It's been a heavy sort of day, hasn't it?" Ilia asked, standing in front of the pavement to grab his attention.

"Indeed it has. To be quite honest, I don't believe that coming out here has done _anything_ for my stress." He exhaled, shakily.

"Maybe we shouldn't leave it that way, then. There's still time to fix things."

Unsure of what that could possibly entail, Shad waited out the rest of their excursion in silence. He enjoyed the relative calm of the streets, along with the pleasurable company at his side. _'Time…'_ he thought, eyes turned to the pavement. _'I wonder, how much time do we have left… together?'_

After some time had passed, Link and Ashei returned from the shop, with the latter missing the trademark pieces of armour that always covered her forearms. In their absence, her hands clung to her elbows. She _hated_ how exposed it felt, like being outdoors in one's smallclothes. Shad studied her reaction quietly, finding himself inadvertently drawn to her wrists. They seemed dainty and ill fitting for one so formidable.

"Sorry for the wait," the warrior growled, holding the most awkward posture he could ever remember seeing. "They'll be ready in a day."

"Did you get anything?" Ilia asked Link.

"Oh - no, I'm good for now… I'd just never seen a full armoury before!" he laughed, nervously.

"We definitely don't have anything like that at home. Think you'll go back in there later?"

Link cringed a little at the thought, fearing a verbal lashing from Midna the next time he was alone. "Uh… actually the guy there seemed… a little _too_ interested in my set-up after I demonstrated how hard it was to set my tunic on fire."

"That is the _last_ time I take you anywhere," Ashei sighed, bringing a hand to her temple.

Stifling their laughter, Ilia and Link lead the group as they faced back towards the bar. In a simple gesture that seemed to unfold, without fear or hesitation, they began to hold hands as they walked along the pavement. They seemed oblivious to the street around them, turning heads as they passed. Shad had done his best not to glance for too long, curious as he was, but he'd been caught by the swordsman who sent his nerves shooting into overdrive once again.

"Hey…" Link smiled at him, over his shoulder.

"P-Pardon, my rudeness, old boy."

His blue eyes brimmed with enthusiasm before he spoke again. "You should walk with us, Shad."

"Walk with…? Oh, no, _please,"_ he protested, weakly. "We would take up far too much space on the pathway and-"

But before the scholar could recoil, the hero reached behind and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him forward to walk alongside the pair. Shad wore a bewildered expression, wanting to hide their grandiose display from the public eye. Ilia couldn't hide her amusement at the look on his face. "Ashei, you should join us," Link called out to her over his shoulder.

However, his request was met promptly with an undignified snort, followed by laughter. "I'll pass, thanks."

The warrior could feel herself bouncing back from the spirits but she remained content to follow behind the strange trio, shaking her head at Link's shamelessness. It was becoming difficult to figure out exactly _what_ the younger man's deal was, though none of his actions seemed to convey a sense of possession over anyone. He was protective when others were in danger of course, but with his weapons sheathed, he seemed content to simply… enjoy the company of others.

On their way down the street, the group passed an enormous flower stall, which sat on the corner opposite to the turn for the bar. Though the workers seemed to be packing up, many of the displays were still out for customers including rows of pink carnations, red poppies and white roses, catching Ilia's gaze as they passed.

"I am thankful we could spend a night like this together," Shad said, as they neared the quadrangle outside Telma's Bar.

"It does feel a bit wrong, with the castle the way it is…" Link admitted, biting onto his lip with guilt. He could feel the ghost of something awful nipping at the edges of his mind but it disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced. "Still, it was nice getting to take my mind off things. I'll be leaving with Rusl soon."

"Really hope that _this_ one goes better for you, yeah?"

"If it does, you should put it into a book," Ilia smiled. And then, she peered in through the windows of the bar; craning her neck to get a look at how busy it might've gotten in her absence. "Hey, I'd better hurry up and get in there so I can earn my keep! I'll see you all soon."

The swordsman then froze, suddenly hit by his own realisation.

"… And I've still gotta put my bed together on Rusl's floor! Agh. Have a good night, guys."

Ilia and Link ran on ahead, opening the front door to the orange gleam of the tavern. The commotion of its patrons roared out of the gap. Shad went to follow them, making it as far as the doorway, before an unfamiliar hand grabbed onto his coat and stopped him in his tracks. The scholar paused and turned around with a look of pure apprehension.

"What the hell's up with you tonight, Shad?" Ashei scowled. "You've been acting passive-aggressive the entire time I've been _back."_

He should've known that he couldn't have said what he did without repercussions, especially where Ashei was concerned, however part of him had been holding out for some memory-erasing hangover to wipe the slate clean. He then considered whether running away would be worth a shot, not that he'd had much practice at that sort of thing. Despite the fact that they both exuded the smell of alcohol, the scholar was certain that he'd be caught and strung up on the nearest torch-holder before he could leave the neighbourhood.

"Do you have any idea what it's like having to deal with this after everything that's happened? We're _supposed_ to be friends." She glared daggers at him for his lack of timely response.

Shad looked directly into her eyes, mindful of their close proximity for the first time that night. A new feeling had begun to take hold. Shame, of the lack of sincerity that he'd shown her. "Ashei, I… do think of you as a friend, of course," he murmured.

"Well, we soon _won't_ be if you keep that up! So what's your problem with me, then? … Spit it out."

"I'm afraid, it is… rather stupid." He knew that honesty was the best policy, until it came to placing one's self-esteem in the hands of another, far more practiced at killing.

"Really?" she scoffed. "I'd never have figured that out."

Accepting that there would never be a better time for this exchange, Shad sighed, bracing himself for the consequences. "Tonight, I found myself questioning if… if we could ever be friends outside of the Resistance," he began, hesitant. "I mean, if we didn't work together… I wonder, would you still think of me as such?"

 _"What?!"_ The warrior frowned. She searched his face critically, like she hadn't been sure of how to take his words. "Are you serious?"

"Perhaps you misunderstand," Shad continued, clearing his throat. "I-I just never thought that you had much time for _this_ sort of thing - beyond the necessary pleasantries. You always seemed too… independent to be bothered with others. I was certainly surprised when you and Link hit it off, as it were, and then you both wanted to take me out."

The scholar paced absently near the wall, tangling his fingers in his hair. Of course, he had omitted the part where he wasn't entirely sure of _what_ he was jealous of. But it stood to reason that the thought of being forgotten by either of them flooded him with anxiety.

"So, what then? Are you saying I can't have friends cause I'm too self-reliant?" Ashei answered, folding her arms. "And why does _this_ give you a free pass to be a prick to me all night? This doesn't exactly make me wanna stay around, y'know."

"Ah… my words were clumsily chosen," he flinched.

"Do you wanna know what's actually stupid, Shad? Having to reinstate our friendship _all_ of the damn time."

Immediately, Shad put all of his thoughts on hold, detecting something new and a little frightening in the tone of her voice. Had he… actually wounded her with their latest argument?

After everything that they'd fought about - whether it had happened first thing in the morning, at the Resistance meeting table, or when Ilia arrived on their doorstep with amnesia - was this finally the one where they'd taken it _too far?_ Before he could get another decent look at her face, the warrior turned away, facing the ground sharply.

"It really does seem like we are predisposed to fighting one another," he admitted with a frown. "And in _comparison,_ well, you and Link seem to have the world in common. I suppose it made me… insecure about where I stand."

The warrior sighed before tilting her head back up to face him. She was mad. Bitter. And she could see it in her eyes, her reflection caught in his glasses. He saw her too, pale in the light of the torches, her black fringe cutting sharply against her face.

"Let's simplify this," she growled, getting right in his face. "If I didn't care about you, then I wouldn't be talking to you. At all. I know I can be an idiot… but whenever I am, you always hold me accountable. _I like_ that about you."

Shad felt his heart skip a beat at her words, as harsh as they'd actually sounded.

"And despite what you might think, I don't have any problems _with Ilia,"_ she continued, now feeling terribly self-conscious for bringing it up. "What really sucks is that you don't believe in our friendship. You act like we're just two people working together. I don't have to meddle with your research either, but I do it because I want to see you recognised for all that effort. It's _bullshit_ that you're doing so much alone."

Thinking back to his earlier conversation in the bookshop, the scholar felt something obvious click into place. His inner-saboteur sat comfortably in the back of his mind, presiding over the tatters of his self-esteem. By allowing it to carry on, unchecked, he had nearly caused unmitigated damage to his closest relationships. Could he have imagined carrying on in this war _without_ her support? This was his most steadfast ally. And she stood before him now, wanting to clean the slate with her own two hands.

Even their earliest arguments had spurned him onward, in some strange manner. With Ashei, he felt motivated to do better. To prove the world wrong.

"… If anybody should be the idiot tonight Ashei, it would be me," Shad conceded. "This is my insecurity, not yours. But you're the one I took it out on."

Ashei stepped back, gauging his reaction with careful consideration. She gritted her teeth, half wanting it to be over, and half holding out for the rest of his words.

"In any case, I apologise for my comments before. They were very much out of line. I would also understand if you were to think less of me for them. You are free to do as you wish, of course. With Link, or… erm, anyone, really. I shan't stand in your way."

"Do as I wish? Like we're having a party and we're not all in the middle of some screwed up conflict? Who the hell do you think I am?!"

The steely girl came in close again - this time, _frighteningly_ so - with the scholar finding himself backed against the brick wall, pinned down by a single hand on his chest. It was miraculous nobody had opened the door in a while, being that it might've seemed like a shake down… or something _else._

"I'd put my life on the line for you! You do realise that, right?!" Ashei chastised, narrowing the heavy lashes that sat on her eyelids with disdain. She stood inches away from his face, giving him nowhere for his eyes to escape. In their futile search for neutrality they locked onto her lips, which were curled in disgust… and every bit as small, and delicate, as her wrists.

"I-I… I believe you!"

It suddenly occurred to Shad that this was the first time he'd really _felt_ her hand on him, without the cold weight of her gauntlets shielding the warmth from her body.

"And there you go! I said it _with words_ cause nothing else I do seems to get through to you!" she continued, furious. "Are you happy now?! _Is this what you wanted?"_

"A-Ah-"

Shad felt utterly betrayed by his body as his heart began to race, hammering quickly beneath her fingertips. The violets in his eyes shrank around his pupils, which were now wide with horror, as he failed to maintain his composure. Though she held him in place lightly, it was her glare that rendered him paralysed. He could not lift himself to save his life. "Ashei?" he struggled, his reddening face shot with nerves.

"Hmm?"

"I can't… move."

For a split second, the warrior regarded him cynically, as though he'd been joking around with his choice of words. But then she looked to the wall behind him… and sensed his pulse _rushing_ against her hand, shocked that she could have missed something so prominent. She stepped back immediately. Mortified, at her own rashness. Shad recognised, in her own wild gaze, a flicker of fear, which flashed as subtly as the flecks of sienna in her seas of black.

"… Sorry. I…"

Ashei bit down on her lip again, feeling as though she'd plunged right into the lake of ice back at Snowpeak Mountain. This had felt _so_ different to all of the times she'd punched him for his snippy comments. "Damnit, I didn't mean to… I-I don't know why… _Fuck._ Sorry."

"It's… alright."

Shad took a deep breath as they turned away from each other, slowly repairing the walls to their personal space. "… Perhaps we've had too much to drink," he offered after a brief silence, hoping it would be enough to smooth things over. She hesitated for a moment, hating herself for being so brainless, before she met his eyes once more; forcing a smile. In the face of ruin, it was crucial for one to stay strong.

"Perhaps not."

"Oh?"

"C'mon, I'll buy us a round when we get inside. I don't wanna remember a thing," she said flippantly, before turning around and pushing her way past the door.

Feeling as though he had just faced down death itself, Shad breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Never before could he recall feeling more eager to throw away his sobriety.


	15. Eye of the Storm

**AN:** Plot-heavy chapter, dipping into some angst here! :p Also have a head-canon that time in the outside world doesn't actually pass when you're in the Temple of Time, so Link will be back faster than ever.

* * *

 **Chapter 15 - Eye of the Storm**

Tucked into the shoulder of a plateau, which overlooked the rest of Hyrule, were the ruins of an ancient theatre. Though it were easy to miss, they were hidden somewhere in the southern expanse of the Lanayru Province, dwarfed by the spires of the castle itself. It was here that Shad returned armed with new information he'd decoded from the Royal archives. Some months had passed since he'd ventured beyond the gates. So much so, that the scholar had almost forgotten the raw beauty of the natural world.

In comparison to his familiar study and the cobblestoned streets of the town, everything out here seemed so _bright_ and intricate… from the countless blades of grass and mosses that flourished between the ancient bricks, to the faded beauty of the mountains and rivers which melted into the horizon.

"Wow, it's even more impressive than I would've thought!"

Seated atop of the seated columns of stone was Ilia, who volunteered to accompany Shad on her day off. As exotic as the city and its elaborate designs were, she found herself missing the greenery and uninhibited skies of the world beyond. She also hadn't been able to resist the urge to kick her shoes off at the earliest opportunity, much to the scholar's astonishment.

Shad chuckled lightly at the younger girl's comments, looking up at her from the base of the ruin. "There's certainly no obligation for you to find this riveting. In an hour or so, I imagine that this place might bore you silly."

"Listen to you! Is that a joke about my attention span?" Ilia quipped, before sprawling backwards to face the sky, her short hair knitting itself into the grasses. "I'll be fine here, Shad. I _miss_ being outdoors." She inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh scents of the earth and the wildflowers, which grew sporadically throughout the field.

"I suppose you must," Shad agreed, before he turned his attention back to the perplexing owl statue before him.

By all accounts, this monument fit the description of the 'guardian' statues referenced within the text. But the strangest part was that this wasn't the scholar's first time in this particular location. He'd visited these ruins on numerous occasions, often to watch the sun set over the rest of Hyrule. Something about them had always captured his interest, and he'd found them to be equally strange and beautiful.

"You must tell me your secrets…" Shad frowned, addressing the stony carved face of the owl. Around anybody else this might have seemed like odd behaviour but he'd grown so comfortable around Ilia that not even dancing in front of the statue would have shaken him.

"Let me know if you need help with anything," she called from above. "I'm not a very strong person but I'm sure I could lift you for a few seconds, if you wanted to try climbing it?"

"With my track record, I am just as likely to fall and break a leg," he laughed.

"At least you'll be on stage?"

"Oh, Ilia! How did I ever survive this tedious occupation without you?"

After hours of sketching, prodding and investigating around the ruin, the skies darkened with the purple and orange of twilight. It was then that Shad realised they ought to be getting home. He'd never seen a Stalhound in the wild before, and he planned on keeping it that way. He reunited with Ilia before they took to the road, walking at a leisurely pace towards the city. It was still too early to see its torches glimmering in the distance, though the setting sun had a fire of its own, glancing off the windows of the tallest buildings.

"It's too bad you couldn't find what you were looking for," Ilia frowned. She carried some of the scholar's materials against her chest as she walked.

"How rude that it didn't respond to a _thing_ that I did!" Shad scrunched up his face up with disappointment. "Most odd, given that there was once some way to activate them. You see, they carry an old magic from the Sky and were specifically entrusted to us from the beings above."

"Maybe this one's broken?" Ilia wondered aloud. She had to admit that seeing Shad this frazzled was certainly an experience in itself. "At least there are others out there for you to find. I hope they're more helpful."

"I've uh… already received some correspondence on the matter," the scholar continued, though the heaviness in his tone hadn't budged. "I believe you have already met Renado from Kakariko Village. Telma put me into contact with him - albeit, reluctantly - and it just so happens that he has knowledge of an ancient labyrinth beneath the town. Apparently it houses a variety of ruins, which fit the description I mentioned."

"Oh! You'll be going to Kakariko, then?! That's so exciting!"

"Indeed," Shad muttered. "Though I am uncertain of how productive this trip will be, if today is anything to go by. Goddesses Ilia, I'm closer than ever before!"

 _'If only I were the so-called Messenger to the Heavens…'_

"At least there will be hot springs for you to visit! And there are Gorons from the mountain. And all the kids from my village will be there. You'll even be able to tell them how much better I'm doing."

The scholar smiled a little, taking in Ilia's incurable love of the world around her. She was indeed a living testament to the better parts of the human spirit, especially in these dark times. "Well, for you, I shall try to look forward to the occasion."

* * *

In the emerald groves of the Faron woods, Link and Rusl had stopped alongside a ravine, which seemed almost out of place amongst the thick trees and gloomy swamplands in the background. Even from the nearest settlement in Ordon Village, this particular place received very little in the way of contact with humans.

"It feels like only yesterday that we were here, patrolling beyond the gates," the older man reminisced, looking back to his student with pride.

"Yeah. Damn, Rusl. It's been such a long time." Link leaned against the roots of an ancient tree, which outsized most of the buildings in Hyrule Castle Town.

"I don't need to tell you how much you've changed." Rusl smiled. "In fact, I dare say that you'd put me out of work if we were to return home now!"

"Compete with you? And have my string of good luck run out? Haha, no thanks!"

Welcoming the relative moment of peace they'd found at the overpass, the hero took the opportunity to drink some water and soak up the final rays of the sun as they peeked out from the trees.

"… Link, what do you plan to do with yourself once this is all over?"

His question shattered the moment of peace, dragging the hero back into the present.

"Surely you've thought about it."

"I…"

In truth, he really _hadn't._ And Link struggled to hide the discomfort on his face from his mentor.

Everything that he'd managed to achieve so far had been done under the sobering realisation that there _really might not_ be any coming back. There'd been little hope of surviving some of the hero's more outrageous feats - like throwing the Bulblin King off the Eldin Bridge, destroying Morpheel in the crushing depths of the lake and duelling the hulking mass that was Dangoro over a sea of lava. At this point, he had come to believe that it was the Triforce on his hand keeping him alive.

"This may be presumptuous of me but something tells me that you've outgrown our town," Rusl prompted. Though he took no pleasure in causing Link discomfort, he hoped to push through it, and find something for him to hold onto in the dark. Link laughed back nervously, grabbing the back of his neck.

"And that's perfectly fine, especially for someone of your age and ability. You did get a _later_ start than I would've liked but the world will be waiting for you, once this is all over."

 _'The world… that I've been fighting for?'_

Admittedly, Link had struggled to imagine what it might've been like out here _without_ all of the monsters. Or the interference from the Twilight Realm. "I, uh… I'm not ungrateful for the opportunities you've given me, or for having a place to call home. I'll always belong in Ordon Village. But seeing Hyrule has been… I don't have any words." His voice tapered off as he looked out again, towards the trees. "I think… I love it. And sure, it's not perfect, but doing this everyday? I've seen places I could've only read about. Met people I could've only imagined."

"Oh, the Mayor would be _furious_ with me if he knew that I was encouraging you to keep adventuring," Rusl smirked, knowingly. "Which brings me to my second point. Bo's very anxious for Ilia to return. The only reason he hasn't come to town to check on her himself is because I've been keeping him in the loop and he still has the rest of the town to run."

"Ah, yeah. I should've updated him as soon as I found her safe," Link confessed, averting his gaze.

After losing her mother, Ilia had undeniably become her father's world. She happened to be the only family that he had left… which, in part, had probably led to Link being taken in as unabashedly as he was. Some combination of Rusl's mentoring and sharing a roof with Ilia's family had made him into the independent person he was, today.

"It is no trouble. Remember, you're not the only adult here," the older man assured him. "In any case, she will be taken care of. So, there is no need for you to keep on worrying. Link, I would encourage you to think some more about what kind of future might be waiting for you at the end. Or you never know, you might just decide to pack it in and start a family."

Link whipped his attention forward in a sudden motion, turning bright red as Rusl laughed at him.

"Uhh…! W-Well, I… ahaha, um." He coughed, pretending to choke on the water from his canteen. "Kids? … Goddesses Rusl, I haven't even kissed anybody - uh, apart from that one time, when me and Ilia were like ten."

"Haha! Oh, no. I forgot all about that."

"I didn't," Link flinched. "How could I? I got into serious trouble for that one. We couldn't hang out all week and then we had _the talk."_

"Well, there's no hurry on that front. Trust me." Rusl cast out a smile, reserved for a moment before he looked to the forest floor. He conducted the following train of thought with some hesitation. "Although, if your future were to hold such a thing, my advice would be to find someone suited to your life. It's very hard on Uli for me to be gone so often and for so long. I consider myself lucky. But I wouldn't wish it upon anyone."

He had certainly noticed Link's compatibility with a certain hardy warrior, though as much as he would've approved of the idea, he knew better than to encourage such things with words. Encouragement from elders was the death knell of any romance involving young people.

"You'll have to forgive me if I'm being presumptuous, once again," he'd confessed, with some amusement. "There is still a war for us to get through."

"I'll, um… try to keep your advice in mind. If it ever happens." Link smiled, a little morosely. "Thanks, Rusl."

* * *

As evening fell, the flawless skies that had graced Shad during his excursion were soon blanketed with heavy clouds, threatening the city with a torrential downpour. It had been quite some time since such weather had taken hold. In fact, the water-rich Lanayru Province happened to be in the grip of a _particularly_ dry spring.

Candlelight filled the study as Ilia joined the now very frustrated scholar, who happened to be digging around on the bottom shelf of a dusty bookcase. "Is everything alright down there?" she asked, placing his field notes carefully onto a nearby table.

"Oh - certainly! Sorry for my untimeliness, Ilia. I really… wanted to thank you for your company today." He paused, looking up to regard the younger girl with a smile. His hair sat messily upon his head after he'd leant down for so long. "I wonder, what would they think of me for making you carry my belongings as often as you do?"

"For the last time, I'm not some delicate flower!" Ilia protested, folding her arms. "It's not beyond me to carry a couple of books around, Shad. How do you think I got _anything_ done back in Ordon?"

"O-Of course, I…" Shad smirked, contemplating how to phrase the following words. "I often forget that I am not in the company of a lady from town. There are rules here about such things. Although, come to think of it, nothing of the sort applies to any of the women here. It is certainly not a requirement of Telma's to be chivalrous and Ashei would sooner jump in the moat than play such games."

Ilia laughed at his words, having experienced the awfulness of the moat for herself. "I think I'd join her. None of this stuff makes any sense to me. Back home, women would work on the fields and tend to the livestock as much as the men. Everything was less rigid because we worked as a community."

"Ah, of course! I did not mean to imply that the culture here was perhaps the normal way of doing things - AHA! There it is! - In fact, believe self-determination to be the cornerstone of any equal society." Shad had stopped his rummaging.

"I'm glad you think so. What's _that?"_

He pulled out a tome that was encased beneath a dark spine. "With luck, something that can help shed light on why I failed to glean any reaction from the statue today," he said, wearing a more subdued expression. "You see, a certain instrument is often mentioned in my texts. An object, from which the owl deities draw their power. Nobody has been able to locate such a thing in hundreds of years."

"And this book is about finding the lost item?" Ilia wondered, her eyes scanning over the dusty volume.

"Not exactly. I had hoped that _maybe_ there was some other way to awaken the statues but… without that, my next bet is on this theory." Shad paused for a moment, tapping his fingers against the book. Whether or not any of this stuff really mattered to Ilia, or Ashei - or _anybody_ polite enough to sit through it - he had always found it helpful to think in front of an audience. "They say that the Sheikah were the guardians and secret keepers of the Royal family. And, as it happens, I possess information on this mysterious group of people. If there is a chance of anything in this book explaining our connection to the Sky, then I must try to find it!"

Slowly, he turned the book over, exposing the front cover. The large, red eye of the Sheikah emblazoned upon it stared back at Ilia, sending cold shivers from her fingertips all the way up to her arms. The feeling spread like wildfire, reaching without limit, until the horror dipped into the core of her body. She had been paralysed by it. Poisoned. And she'd struggled to shake its hooks from her mind.

"Ilia?" the scholar prompted, noticing the faraway look in her eyes.

Every one of her senses tingled with an alertness for danger. She gasped, reeling backwards before she crashed into the table behind. Her fingers grasped onto her head as she cried, scrunching her eyes.

 _"That…_ _that eye!"_

Muscle memory took over and she remembered running her hands over that stark symbol - feeling the curvature of the eyelid, the prick of the spines on its eyelashes - followed by a flash of something terrible.

 _"You can't stay here, it's far too dangerous!"_

She saw herself running - her legs scuffed and aching - carrying her as far as they could in the dark. Her lungs filled with oxygen in such fast succession that her joints began to curl and cramp. Ilia crashed onto her knees before she screamed.

"NO! DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE!"

Shad dropped the horror-inducing item on the floor and kicked it away with haste. It fell somewhere beyond their line of sight. He shouted and then wrapped his arms around her, fighting to regain control. "Ilia, it's me! You're _here_ in town, with me!" Every part of her felt stiff with fear and cold to the touch. In contrast, he felt as though he had been electrified.

 _"I'm sorry!_ I am so sorry, Ilia - if I'd known, I would _never_ have…!"

Unresponsive, she then crumpled right out of his hold.

lia would've slammed onto the ground if Shad hadn't hurried to catch her again. He lowered her as carefully as he could onto the floor, looking over the scene before him with pure terror. The scholar had never dealt with a fainted person in his life and he wondered _frantically_ who he ought to call upon at a time like this. With Link out of town, the next safest bet had to be Ashei. He shuddered to think of what would happen if Telma or Rusl found out about this incident, though finding Ilia a doctor undoubtedly took priority over this fear.

But before he could put a plan into motion, he then opened the door to reveal an extremely furious proprietress. She towered over him in the walkway, her hands on her hips. And then she strode into the room, ready to shred him like a sheet of paper.

" **What** in the name of the Goddesses is going on in here?!" Telma shouted.

* * *

Hours had passed since Shad and Telma carried Ilia down the stairs, and woke her gently with a damp towel. Slowly, everything seemed to be materialising back into place. The proprietress closed the bar down for the night, hoping to lift the spirits of the shaken girl, despite her claims that she was feeling better. The feeling of cool water pressed against her face had sped things along. Once it appeared as though Ilia were fully coherent, the two women sat by the counter, sharing in a cup of herbal tea as they talked.

Shad withdrew into the study shortly after, awaiting the consequences of his actions. The storm outside was now in full swing, with lightning strikes and the odd crash of thunder rattling the windows, though it had done little to stir the scholar's attention. After a tentative knock on the door, Shad finally looked up to find Telma in the room. He'd risen to his feet immediately, facing her with all the urgency in the world.

 _"How_ is she? Please, at the very least, tell me that Ilia is alright."

"She's doing better now," Telma assured. "… Ilia explained what happened to me, honey."

"… Oh. I see."

Though he fully expected to be turned onto the streets for being involved in such a disturbing incident, the scholar was surprised to detect some sympathy in her voice.

"I'm sorry for suspecting you immediately. You have to admit, though, it would've looked pretty terrible from my end! You spend all that time together and then you've got the poor girl unconscious on your floor? What would I have said to her father? That I'm running a madhouse, here?"

Shad looked away, staring at the wall as he spoke. "I… I simply do not have the words to explain how sorry I am for what happened, Telma. Truly. I never meant to harm Ilia, however indirectly."

"I _know,_ Shad. She's been so strong for all of us. Refuses to take the day off, even when she hasn't gotten a wink of sleep!" the older woman sighed.

"You must understand that she never wanted to worry you. Or Link, for that matter." The scholar swallowed nervously. "However, I understand how dear she is to you both. I suppose it was selfish of me to conceal her worries, though I'd done so at her insistence."

Telma smiled down at him, though her eyes seemed to betray a lingering sadness. "I can tell that you care for her, honey. And not many people are prepared for situations like this." She extended her arm and pulled Shad in close for a hug, feeling him squeeze back in solidarity. He deflated a little in her grasp.

"I will warn you though," she said in a new voice, "if anything like this happens _more_ than once, I'll string you up."

The scholar's widened in fear, a cold sweat gathering on his forehead. "Ah, haha… I shall certainly do my utmost to prevent any further accidents." He coughed a little before releasing the proprietress. Dealing with Ashei's temper was a walk in the park compared to Telma's wrath.

"It was reckless for me to be diving into Hyrule's darker chapters in such company."

"Which brings me to my next point, honey." She sighed deeply before levelling with the scholar again, hating to be the bearer of bad news. "If it isn't too much to ask, I think we ought to give Ilia a break from anything involving the war or Resistance efforts. I knew that this was the sort of environment I'd be bringing her into, so I share the blame here, but…"

"I understand, Telma."

"No more research trips. No more late nights in the study. If we're to hold meetings, I want them to be done sensibly. I hate to be _that_ person honey, but we don't know what Ilia went through to get here. And we have to be mindful of that until things get better."

Shad nodded quietly, accepting the terms of agreement.

* * *

The night was heavy and still in the aftermath of the storm, casting a perfect shroud over the moon. Such conditions might have been perfectly comfortable for anyone wanting to catch up on their rest. However, regrettably, Shad now found _himself_ in the predicament of being unable to sleep. The scholar climbed out of bed after allowing his eyes to drift over the windowpane on the opposite side of the room. It was dim and blurry, until he reached for his glasses. Despite his newfound vision, he found nothing remotely inviting about the world outside.

Even so, he found himself approaching the glass. The lock clicked and then the frame swung open. Climbing after the rain was especially risky but he did so with due diligence, before hoisting himself up onto the roof itself. A cool, refreshing breeze cut through the humidity of the air, carrying the scent of the rain along with it.

"Hey," came a familiar voice from above.

"Ashei?" Shad blinked, mildly startled. "H-How did you get up here?"

"Used the window from my room. Slightly harder but not too dangerous."

"Ah. Of course." He positioned himself to look at the warrior directly, noticing that the black sheen of her hair and silvery armour were dimmed in the night.

"… I take it you came here to be alone, yeah?" She concluded, rising to get up from her post on the roof.

"Oh, no - don't let me interrupt your night-"

"Nah, I'll go. You're too considerate to say anything otherwise." The warrior smirked at him, though any of her usual subtleties were harder to detect in the dark, behind the few flecks of rain that landed on his glasses.

"No, please… I could actually use some company, I think."

Ashei studied the scholar's bleak expression with a frown before she extended her hand, helping him up onto the ridge. A few days had passed since their little _misunderstanding,_ with neither party choosing to hold a grudge, not that anybody had actually come forward with the memory of it happening. The warrior had made an effort to stay out of Shad's way without being rude and it seemed that he'd extended the same courtesy to her, until now.

It seemed that whatever was going on with him now outweighed whatever awkwardness might've remained between them.

"So, what's up? You're never up here this late," she ventured in a cool tone.

"… I'm afraid I've done something horrible," Shad admitted, looking out over the rooftops. Ashei had to stop herself from scoffing, struggling to imagine a scenario in which this could be possible, before she waited for him to continue. "… I might have really hurt Ilia."

"You _hurt_ her?" she repeated, shocked. "Is that why the bar's shut? What did you - uh… what happened?"

With a heavy sigh, the scholar obliged his friend and began to tell the story of what happened. Ashei listened, offering little in the way of interruption and ruminating over the facts without her usual tone of opposition. She waited for him to finish before she spoke again.

"It was absolutely dreadful, Ashei," he concluded, expression gaunt in the night.

"You didn't know that would happen! And it sounds like she didn't either, if talking about it hadn't set her off beforehand. It had all to be that eye, on the cover."

Shad took a deep breath and pressed his fingers against his forehead. It felt unusually heavy. "I do wonder though, what could this _mean?"_

"Ilia never ended up telling you her story, did she?"

The scholar simply shook his head in response. "Not one of us knows the full extent of what she has been through. But you must understand, none of that mattered to me. I only wanted for her to feel like her _true_ self again. Whoever she was before the war, _that_ was the person I wished to see!"

Ashei smiled a little at his words, though her gaze was lowered, thoughtfully. "Well… this mystery could even be as simple as her passing that emblem in the time she was missing. Sounded like she was out there for a while. Weeks, Link said? There's little to go on, here."

Feeling the need to balance his curiosity with the emotional gravity of the situation, Shad continued carefully. "But from _where_ could she have seen it?" he questioned. "This isn't something that many people would happen upon in their everyday lives. The eye of the Sheikah is a marker of hidden knowledge. Most commonly, it is found in graveyards."

"I don't know, Shad. And pestering Ilia about it would be out of the question. None of us are equipped to go digging around in other people's heads."

"This entire incident is as _confounding,_ as it is regrettable."

"It is, but I think… I'm gonna have to agree with Telma on this one," Ashei said at last. Her eyes scanned the horizon, watching the distant lightning flash over some far away stretch of land. "I think we need to leave it alone."

The scholar followed her gaze beyond the town walls and considered his next question carefully - wanting an honest response. If he were going to get one anywhere, he could not have thought of a better person to ask. "I wonder then, in light of what's happened… would you… deem it wise for me to give Ilia her space?"

"Wait, what?" The warrior's attention snapped back towards him, her eyes wide at the absurdity of his suggestion.

"It is perhaps my greatest fear… that I have hindered her recovery, beyond my usual ramblings about my research. A-And I ask for _your_ opinion on this matter because I believe myself incapable of deciding such a thing objectively. I need to know if I've made things worse."

"Wow, Shad. What _is_ it with you and all these epiphanies, lately?"

"My question still stands." He smiled, humourlessly.

Ashei blinked as she absorbed his words, finding herself put in a rather uncomfortable position.

Of course Shad hadn't left Ilia's side, he was exactly the type of person to care for others at the detriment of himself. And however charming this little blonde girl from the south was, she could never begrudge her for her circumstances. In fact, Ashei had wanted to tear the monsters apart herself, for even daring to steal women and children from their homes. Yet, part of her wondered what it might have been like, in secret. To be at the centre of that unwavering compassion.

'What would it be like if _we_ could start over? And everything between us wasn't so… messy?'

"I think leaving her alone now would only make things worse. Like, way worse," the warrior answered, snapping out of her train of thought. "She needs you. And as long as you don't run around wearing that eye on your shirt or whatever, it should be fine. Knock yourself out. Don't beat yourself up in front of her, either. She won't take it well."

Feeling some immense relief at her words, Shad placed his hand gently upon Ashei's arm. Her body tensed at first but then she softened, regarding him with a calm gaze. He had always been a handsy sort of friend, she remembered, grimly.

"You always were the most astute person," he smiled. "It's a shame I never told you before."

She held back a laugh. "Don't make it _weird."_

"What I mean to say is… thank you, Ashei."

"Anytime." And then she met his beleaguered smile with one of her own.

* * *

When Link returned to Hyrule Castle Town the following afternoon, not a doormat appeared to be out of place at the bar. Auru and Rusl briefed him immediately upon arrival - apparently, the missing piece of the Eldin bridge had been located somewhere in the desert, much to Midna's delight. After that, Telma welcomed him back with the best cup of coffee he had ever tasted. Seeing Ilia was always the highlight of his return to the city, though this time he danced around the details of the unusual assignment, for fear of invoking her fear of spiders. But as far as hunting pieces of the Mirror of Twilight had gone, the Temple of Time was by far the most spectacular thing he had ever experienced.

After some brief downtime with Ashei, who understood the importance of _not_ being weighed down by dozens of questions upon arrival, Link made his way to the hallway outside of the scholar's room. His hand lingered on the door handle - hesitant, once more, to pull Shad's attention away from his work. However, this time the matter was urgent.

"My word."

The windows shuddered lightly in the background, pelted with residual rain from the storm. Link sat quietly upon the floor, opposite the scholar who had abandoned his desk to join him. Ceremoniously, he placed between them a most elaborate sceptre of ancient blue steel. The carvings that ran along the prongs at its tip caught Shad's eye, all but confirming its significance to his own research.

 _'Could it be?'_

Before he could rejoice, he was reminded of just how elusive and downright _frustrating_ the mystery of the Skies had been from an academic standpoint. In other words, information would not come easily from this discovery.

"So, uh, it's broken," Link said rather sheepishly, breaking the silence. "But I figured that you're probably the _only_ person in Hyrule who'd be able to help me fix it."

"It's certainly a… very _old_ instrument. I imagine that if any of the scientists in town were to get their hands on it, they'd be able to date it with some accuracy but if I were to guess, I would say-"

"It's thousands of years old."

The scholar's eyebrows shot up. "Yes! Housed in some ruins, no doubt. May I?"

"Oh, yeah. Go right ahead."

Shad ran his fingers along the hilt, admiring its intricate design, before he lifted the wand from the floor. He balanced it in both hands and waited, anxiously, for any sign of life or magic to stir from within the curious object. It remained as silent and stone-cold as the grave. He lowered it back down onto the floorboards, wearing a frown.

"… Link, you may have found something that I've been searching for," he began. "In theory, this very object - if activated - should be able to communicate with other artefacts of its time. Part of me is still, uh, rather reluctant to believe it… but I _suspect_ that this may be…"

"The Dominion Rod," the swordsman finished.

The scholar stared back at Link, his eyes wandering over the _frighteningly_ gifted younger man with awe. The sound of rain in the background fell away as his mind wandered, elsewhere. How could it be that a simple - however, charming and equally fierce - swordsman from Ordon Village had come into possession the single most important item in the ancient histories of the Sky?

"I am unfamiliar with such a term." He blinked, looking vulnerable for a moment. "However, if this is _indeed_ the item in question, then its other name is the Rod of the Heavens. This was to be wielded by a Messenger on behalf of the Royal family, the single line of communication between _our_ civilisation and that of the Sky Beings. It is astonishing that you should bring such a thing here now, considering where I am stuck in my research."

Link smiled at Shad once more, overflowing with his usual gentle warmth and radiance. "I knew you'd be able to tell me more! And that you'd immediately understand how important it is. Shad, you're a genius."

The scholar's deep eyes widened with shock, blushing ever so slightly at the following revelation. "You already knew most of this. Didn't you?"

"Uh, sort of. But it was really cool hearing it from someone like you."

Had Link actually been _withholding_ information from him in the form of some test?

Of all people to play such games, Shad would never have suspected it from him. In fact, the young hero had seemed very much an open book, despite the terrifying truth of his capabilities. Though it hadn't been done maliciously, the scholar had made the mental note that their most handsome recruit was not always as transparent as he seemed. If anyone wanted the full picture from Link, then they would simply have to be two steps ahead with information. But then, some prevailing part of Shad's brain offered another strategy.

'Why not _let_ him win? And see where it takes you?'

"Well then, I suppose I should let you know that we'll be taking on this assignment together? Though saying so would be a formality, at this point," he winked.

"Yeah! If we can do that, then I'd be able to help with your research… and I might be on my way to uh, finding what _I've_ been looking for. Once that's done, I won't need this thing anymore. The Dominion Rod can be yours."

Shad nearly choked in shock. "You would simply _give_ such a thing to me?"

"It belongs with someone who'll take care of it. Unless, we figure out a better plan after the war." The hero grinned.

Shad was well aware of the ambiguity surrounding Link's own mission and wondered what the instrument might be used for in _that_ regard. However, for the time being he was content to simply play along. "It seems our work is cut out for us. There does appear to be a problem, however. Well… a couple, in fact."

"We've come this far, haven't we?"

"… Tell me, Link. What do you know of the Sheikah?" he asked, pushing his glasses up along the bridge of his nose.

"The Sheikah?" Link paused, looking slightly puzzled at the obscurity of the scholar's request. "I saw that word only a couple of times in my books. It came up whenever rare magic and rituals were mentioned, stuff that hasn't been practiced in hundreds of years. And nobody knows where they are now."

This time it was Shad's turn to beam at the younger man. Being well-read on a variety of strange subjects was yet _another_ surprise Link happened to have up his sleeves. "That's correct! They've all but disappeared off the face of the earth, par a few descendants, or people who claim to be as such. But I invoke their name because they were famous for their undying service to the Royal family. They might be the only people who could tell us anything further about this… Dominion Rod."

The blonde swordsman sighed a little before he'd stretched out casually on the ground, looking up at the ceiling as he spoke. "But the civil war happened, right? And on top of that, the Royal family are..." He cut himself off, knowing that this was a particularly uncomfortable topic for Midna.

"Exactly! So, you understand the scope of our predicament. Which, erm… brings me to our _second_ issue."

Shad paused, hit by a turbulent mixture of guilt, fear and shame. It hadn't gone unnoticed by Link, who eyed him cautiously before he continued. "… Did you happen to meet with Ilia earlier today?" he frowned. His tone of voice all but confirmed the younger man's fears, and he felt adrenaline shooting into his veins.

"Well, yeah, I did. Is there some reason I shouldn't have?"

"N-No! No, I didn't, uh… mean to imply _that._ I…" Shad took a moment to compose himself. "R-Regrettably, Ilia had a… rather severe reaction to the cover of one of my books." He reached under a nearby desk and retrieved the offending text, handling it for the first time since he'd abandoned it.

"What do you mean severe?" Link asked, his voice apprehensive. "What's on the cover?"

"The eye of the Sheikah. When Ilia looked upon it, she… underwent a complete mental shutdown. It sent her into shock and Telma scolded me terribly for showing it to her." He placed the book face-down upon the floorboards, beside the Dominion Rod. "I cannot apologise enough for what happened, Link. It was foolish of me."

"She went into _shock?_ Is she alright? She never told me anything about that!"

Sensing the dangerous floodwaters, Shad soon realised that he would have to try his hand at calming Link, before they could surge out of control. However, it seemed that his usual calm was powerless in the face of such guilt. Months of stress and regret over that day in the Ordon Springs were about to burst forth, in the worst way possible. "Ilia would not have wanted you to-"

"I've been with her all day and NOBODY said anything!"

Looking angrier than Shad could ever remember seeing, the swordsman then rose to his feet and clenched his jaw, ripping at the hair along his fringe. His eyes were narrowed, locked onto the ground before he could ever wield them against the scholar. He took a deep breath before he asked the question, "Who else knows, Shad?"

 _'Oh heavens, what have I done?'_

* * *

 **AN:** ... Uh oh! The shipping will continue, but we're going to wade through some pain... /evil laughter.


	16. A House Divided

**AN:** These latest chapters have been turning out larger than expected! Here comes the drama.

* * *

 **Chapter 16 - A House Divided**

In the midst of his conversation with Shad, Link had managed to back himself into a wall, ignoring any hisses from Midna to calm himself down. He then _slammed_ his fist against the wooden panels, jolting the books on the nearest shelf and snarling in pain as he did so. "Why didn't _anyone_ speak up?! It's bad enough that Ilia doesn't tell me how she's doing, now the REST of you are in on it too! Are they pretending everything's fine for my sake?"

"Please, Link-" Shad rose from the floor to try his hand at settling the younger man once again, hoping to Nayru that nobody else could hear the commotion from outside.

"And you didn't answer my question!" Link snapped, nearing the end of his tether. Unlike the outdoors, there was very little space in here to blow off some steam. At least, not without breaking something meaningful. He'd wished that he were back in one of the ancient ruins, always filled to the brim with ceramics for him to smash.

 _"Who else KNOWS about this, Shad?!"_

"I-I cannot, w-well…"

The swordsman's intense gaze flared up at once, honing a raw, icy fury that transformed the rest of his angular face. He looked rabid and unrecognisable. And unlike Ashei, who seemed to thrive upon being angry, or Telma, who could launch you into the ceiling with her voice, he was totally unreadable… like a wild animal. It was then that Shad decided Link was _undoubtedly_ the most frightening person in the building when mad.

"Just me and Telma… and uh, Ashei." The helpless man swallowed, crumbling under the hero's glare. "Word gets around here fast, so I would be surprised if Rusl and Auru hadn't been… warned by _now._ We're to keep our operations quiet from here on."

" _The entire_ Resistance, then?!" Link staggered. "Even Ashei hid this from me? I thought we had each other's backs! After all the shit we went through at Snowpeak."

Grinding his teeth, Link turned his attention away from the anxious scholar and aimed it once more towards the ground. Shad breathed a diminutive sigh of relief that _that face_ was no longer being wielded against him, some residual panic rolling around in the pit of his stomach. But before he could properly welcome such a reprieve, a new emotion swept over Link's face. The sharp edges of the Resistance's betrayal were sanded down into specks of glass. They were swept away in a wind of despair, as he said the following words. "None of you think I can handle this."

"L-Link?"

Bringing a gloved hand to his face, he slumped against the wall and sank onto the floorboards. Link refused to respond to or even glance up at Shad, who floundered in a tide of horror. It seemed that the younger man had shut himself off emotionally.

"Uh… that is not, w-we don't…"

Although he was feeling extremely out of his depth, Shad knew that _now_ might have been his only chance to salvage whatever reputation the Resistance had left with Link. Especially while his claws were sheathed. Goddesses, those blue eyes were terrifying when he was enraged.

He approached the volatile man with slow, careful steps, closing the gap between them before he placed both hands over his shoulders. They were incredibly firm and steady for one so deceptively agile. Perhaps from deflecting blows with that shield, or drawing that bow strapped to his back. Tentatively, the scholar then crouched in front of him, keeping his voice low and calm.

"It was hypocritical of us to conceal such things from you. Especially after the, uh… pains I imagine we've put you through regarding your own sense of discretion. You've never given us any reason not to trust you, Link. It seems, however, that we have returned the favour poorly. On behalf of everyone here… I do profoundly apologise."

There was a brief delay in which the swordsman composed himself before talking. "… This isn't even about the missions," he responded, voice muffled by his hands. "I don't care about the work, Shad. No matter how hard it gets out there, _I'll_ be fine."

He met the scholar's intelligent gaze once more, his face softening just a little in an effort to resemble his better self. "It all comes back to… when I couldn't protect Ilia. Out of everything I could've failed to do, that was by far the worst thing."

"I understand," Shad offered, sympathetically. "I might not be of much use out there, in the wild, but I would be absolutely livid if anyone here were in danger."

Link sighed, struggling to keep the memories of that day trapped in the vault under lock and key. "Well, Shad, imagine if you failed them. Imagine if you saw the monsters drag your best friend away as your life left your body… and you drowned in the springs, unable to move. And then, months later, you discovered that everyone you knew thought you'd _snap_ and mess everything up… if you ever found out how badly they'd hurt her…" he trailed off, blinking back tears. "I should be here. Supporting Ilia. Being with her everyday, like _you._ Even then, I could never make up for letting it happen."

"You are supporting all of Hyrule!" Shad nearly shouted. "That is no small feat. Link, listen to me! You are incredible to have survived so much! You are _not_ defined by this one terrible event."

He held on fast to the hero's hands, clasping them together in whatever little space remained between them. It was here that Link noticed he could really _feel_ the scholar's presence in the air before him, shielding the dreary cold beyond the window with his body. But in response, he could only look away. Two tears rolled silently down his cheeks and dripped onto the floorboards.

"Maybe. But that doesn't change what's happening in here," he mumbled. "I'm the worst friend, Shad."

The final sentence hung thick in the air, wounding the rattled scholar down to his bones.

The problem wasn't that they perceived Link as incapable, it was that he was already doing too much. If only there had been some way to make him _understand_ that he was cared for, Shad wondered. He knew he would at least have to try. _"I will not_ have you say those words again, in any capacity!"

The swordsman blinked back in response, looking a little frightened and ashamed of his own reaction in front of Shad.

"We made the wrong decision not to tell you about Ilia. I can see that now. But I feel the full weight of responsibility over what happened. It was my oversight that led to her shutdown. That is why, it was my place to tell you."

Drinking in this new energy from the scholar, Link's eyes met Shad's once again.

He held his gaze with unwavering fervour, his eyes like the first soft touches of nightfall. "I _care_ for you, Link… and if it were up to me, I would have taken your place in the water that day so that you could've saved her. Never doubt it."

Upon hearing those words, something new began to stir within the young hero, as though he were finally seeing the scholar through Ilia's eyes.

 _This_ was it.

Behind the sleepless chaos and eccentricities that seemed to follow Shad and his research, _this_ was his prevailing feature - his love and compassion for others. His love of people and society had fuelled his ambition to uncover the past, of which his own understanding would be used for the betterment of Hyrule. And those of his inner-circle, however far away they might've seemed after weeks of intensive studying, were undoubtedly the source of his inspiration. They had kept him going when any other reasonable person would have given up. In return, he vowed to do the same for them.

Even though Link could never picture the scholar wielding a sword on the battlefield, he got the very real sense that he would do that and _more_ if it meant keeping everybody safe.

"Shad… I can't blame you… or the Resistance really, for any of this," he said, picking himself off the floor. The dashing older man followed suit, giving him space in lieu of his prior efforts to calm him down. "You've been fixing my mess from the beginning. But I don't wanna be kept in the dark anymore. That's all I ask. You guys need to tell me about stuff like this as soon as it happens, especially if it involves _any_ of you getting hurt."

"Link." Shad mirrored his movements, quietly. He wanted this moment of calm to last forever, fearing that it might be disrupted by the following information. His conscience had been heavy for a while, perhaps clouding his judgement where an intervention ought to have happened. "… Old boy, there's something else I need to tell you. It's about Ilia's dreams at night. I-"

But then, suddenly, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. The two men whipped their attention up before Shad moved himself even _further_ away from Link, calling out shakily to their visitor.

"Who is it?"

"It's me," came a chipper voice from the other side of the wall. "Can I come in?"

The scholar promptly opened the door to find the bright ash-blonde woman, who they _just_ happened to be talking about, looking up at him for the first time since her fainting spell. Based on appearances alone, nobody would've been able to guess that today was different from any other. However, her nightclothes at this hour suggested another day off from work. Shad's eyes widened as he regarded her, fully. "Oh - g-good evening, I-Ilia."

"Evening, Shad," she said, simply. Ilia had certainly noticed the fact that he'd been keeping a low profile since their incident and she was less than impressed with the current state of affairs. She brushed past him, walking confidently into the room.

"Hey," Link greeted. He sniffed loudly, rubbing his eyes to hide the fact that he'd cried not too long ago.

"Good, you're here, too. I wanted to talk to both you."

"Um, sure. If that's alright with you?" he asked, checking in with the scholar.

"Yes, of course!" Shad nodded. He cleared his throat before he spoke again. "I was beginning to worry, uh… that I hadn't seen you. What appears to be the matter?"

An uneasy silence fell over the three, who appeared to be maintaining some respectable amount of space from one another. Ilia exhaled deeply, shutting her eyes for a moment before addressed them with unshakable composure. "I don't want to be scared of what happened to me anymore." Unsure of what this could possibly entail, Link stared back at her in alarm while Shad fidgeted with his hands.

"What do you mean, anymore?" he asked, quietly.

"You _know_ by now, Link. There's no way Shad didn't tell you. And I can't go the rest of my life fearing the next reminder." She swallowed before continuing. "I'm saying that I want to remember. I'm going to need to your help to do it."

Both of the men stared back at her now, shell-shocked at the declaration. The scholar shifted uncomfortably, remembering the caution he'd received from Telma yesterday.

"Ilia, you don't have to-"

"Please, do not feel obligated to force-"

"Stop! Both of you, let me finish!" Ilia interjected, her eyebrows pointing down sharply. "When I saw that book, something came back to me. It wasn't a full picture but… that eye. I _know_ something about it. I know of someone who…" Link and Shad waited patiently for her to continue, the latter feeling some of his prior suspicions confirmed. "I get the terrible feeling that someone is in danger. And in some way, they're connected to that eye. So if you can _help me remember…_ I might be able to give you information on that word you mentioned... 'Sheikah.' I think it has something to do with why I'm alive."

Breaking the silence in such moments was uncomfortable for Shad and he still had the rules set in place by the proprietress to contend with. However, Ashei's word of caution had resurfaced. He wondered about the bit of advice he'd received, especially from one so emboldened by the trials of the world.

 _'I think we need to leave it alone.'_

"Ilia, this is a very risky idea." He frowned, doing his best to maintain a diplomatic tone. "And I am loathe to endanger your mental health to obtain such a thing. No discovery could be worth the price."

"Y-Yeah! That's not, uh… we'll find some other way." In comparison, Link had a far more difficult time suppressing his emotions. He looked equal parts shocked and disapproving of the idea. "Shad and I can do our own reading and we'll figure something else out. We've got it sorted. Really."

Ilia glared back at the unwilling pair, holding her hands on her hips. She learned forward and lowered her eyelids in discontent. "You're turning me down?" The swordsman cringed, knowing this stance all too well. She was about to be _furious._

"What about the fact that I said somebody's in danger?" she nearly shouted, raising her voice well beyond its usual range. "Are you just going to forget about them because it's _easier_ for you?"

Link hesitated, wondering how best to calm the storm brewing in Ilia's eyes. Meanwhile, the scholar looked back to the book and the Dominion Rod on the floor, reconsidering their options.

"I just want to help the Resistance!" she continued. "And if you're there, along with Shad, it won't be as _bad._ I'll have my memories back and you'll have new information. We'd all get what we want out of it. Please!"

"… If this is something that you truly want, then I would consider it, for the purposes of healing," Shad began, flinching at the look on Link's face. "But I could not proceed in good conscience with such an act unless all of us reach an accord."

"What about you, then?" Ilia questioned, now turning to her best friend. "I saved your life that day, Link. I summoned the spirit of Ordona. And I freed Colin, Malo, Talo and Beth near Kakariko, regardless of what _they_ would do to me! All I want are my memories back, so I'm not stuck like this forever. And I want to save… that person, if they're still out there. They might still need me."

Link stared back at her, the azure in his eyes resembling flame more than sky. He hesitated. And she thought that he might capitulate.

"Ilia, I _can't_ do this to you," he said, adamantly. "I won't." He hated himself for disagreeing with Ilia, for adding to the weight of her ordeal. But there was no room to compromise on this matter. He would not put her through this again. "You know what it was like out there with those monsters, right? If someone was being harmed way back then, there's absolutely no way they'd still be alive now. There's no point in going back. We'd be making everything worse."

"So… that's it? You're really just giving up on me and abandoning someone who might need your help?!" she razed.

Meanwhile, Shad's attention was held firmly by the door of the study. He dreaded the prospect of Telma barging in, certain that this time he really would be kicked out.

"I expected better of you! You're supposed to be helping people, not doing whatever _this_ is!"

Link knew that this was the wrong thing to say, that it was his honour on the line as the hero chosen by the light spirits, but he didn't care. She needed to hear it. There were certain lines he would not cross. He grabbed Ilia's shoulder - a little rougher than she'd been accustomed to with Shad - and growled in her ear. _"You're_ more important to me."

All at once, the fire seemed to go out of the embattled woman. It was a frightening new development for the swordsman, who had _never_ seen her back down from anything. He wondered just how badly he'd ruined things with her. She regarded him coldly, more so than anyone could've guessed that she was capable of, and then brushed his arm away.

"… Wow, Link."

"If we could perhaps _maintain_ this level of volume, that would be splendid!" the scholar urged them in hushed tones. He held his breath, waiting for any sign of movement from outside. Ignoring Shad's request, Ilia levelled the swordsman with one final, scathing glare.

"I'd go and do it myself but it won't work," she said, venomously. "None of this can work without you!" Before anybody could respond, she whirled around and stormed into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

* * *

After falling into in a contentious position with Ilia, Link spent the rest of the night scouring books with the scholar in an effort to find something - _anything -_ that would help their predicament. Shad had taken on the extra work in a personal attempt to fix things between the affected parties, kindly reassuring the young Ordonian "not to worry, old boy," every hour or so. But despite the extra pair of eyes, neither of them had been able to locate anything even remotely helpful to reviving the Dominion Rod in the current array of texts. And after several hours of studying, Link finally looked over to see Shad hunched over the desk, wrapped in profound sleep.

He smiled.

Feeling his curiosity get the better of him, the swordsman then got up from the floor - stepping carefully over the books scattered around him - and moved closer to admire the oblivious scholar. After a couple of moments had passed, Link wandered over to the bed and grabbed one of the blankets to drape over Shad's shoulders. In the aftermath of his fight with Ilia, he appreciated the moment, finding it soothing in comparison.

Shad was breathing quietly, without a twitch or a spasm, and perhaps the most inaudible snore Link had ever heard. His copper hair was so unruly that it spilled over the books nearby. And the rest of his face was so relaxed that it seemed to take years away from him, not that he could've been older by more than a couple.

Shyly, Link had meant it when he'd returned Shad's "handsome" compliment. And some inner part of him soared whenever he'd managed to catch the older man's attention, as fleeting and as brilliant as it was.

He then wondered, absently, whether anything like gender _really_ mattered when it came to attraction but the truth was, it had no impact on the kind of wonderful person that Shad was. It was the same principle with Ashei, who wasn't traditionally feminine by any means, but who had her own identity and carried herself with more swagger than any man he'd ever met. Both of them were so unapologetically _themselves_ that Link couldn't help but find them fascinating. Even though admiring one of them felt akin to facing down a sharpened blade, and the other inverted this attention, making you feel like a magnificent creature to be studied.

 _'Finally,_ you're alone!' Midna sighed, interrupting his thoughts. She sounded exasperated beyond her limit. 'That was rather smart of you, checking whether he was really out.'

Link's attention wandered back over to the languid scholar, who looked gentle as ever in his slumber. "… Yeah," he said aloud, clearing his throat. "Looks like he won't be up in a hurry. It's been a long day, Midna."

'Good. Now find somewhere quiet, Link. We need to talk.'

* * *

Having scoped out the empty bar downstairs, the young hero took a seat at the meeting table, his sharp face illuminated by a single candle. It was his first time seeing the tavern completely dark and empty, and the stillness in the air raised the hair on his arms.

His eyes flickered around in the gloom as he visualised everything the way that it was yesterday, before it all unravelled. Telma and Ilia had been conducting business as usual behind the bar, Ashei was sitting alone some ways across the floor, closest to the window, Rusl and Auru were holding quiet discussions at this very table and Shad, who _used_ to sit in this chair, had been shut away in the study once again.

Link feared that he really had ruined the scholar's afternoon, given everything that had transpired since then.

Floating in the air in front of him now, on the other side of the table, was Midna. She'd become a voice of solidarity through much of the chaos over the last few months. And in a rare display of reverence, she'd taken her corporeal form, out in the open of the Light Realm. It seemed that she was either totally confident in the fact that they couldn't be caught at this hour or that what she was about to say was _too_ important to be done covertly. Link was fairly confident in guessing which option was most likely.

"Before we begin, you need to know that I don't want to hurt anyone. Except for **him** ," the ordinarily merciless girl began. "I don't have any grudges against your people, Link."

"Come on, Midna, we're past that." He sighed. "As much as you don't want to admit it, you're a good person. And you don't want us to go through what _you_ have."

"… Good," she agreed, albeit self-consciously. With a sigh of her own, the fiend then placed her hand on top of his. Her tiny fingers were splayed right over the spot where his Triforce markings were. They tingled menacingly beneath his glove. "Which is why, I'm going to have to ask you to reconsider that girl-"

 _"Ilia._ Her name is Ilia."

"Ilia's offer."

Link's eyes immediately darkened, breaking contact with Midna's own burning vermilion to glare at the table. He'd been rendered quiet, prompting her to continue her pitch. "We've got just _one_ more piece of the Mirror to find and then it'll be over! All of this will end. But we're stuck without the Dominion Rod and your Ilia seems to know something we don't. And I'd bet that your little scholar friend is onto the right track. I mean, he'll even _help you_ do it so you don't have to suffer through this alone. Aren't you at least a little concerned about these memories, Link?"

The hero looked to her blankly, without a flicker of change in his emotion. Most of his early stubbornness against Midna had subsided but she knew now that she'd dredged it up one final time, as frustrating as it was to deal with. "No," he said. "This whole thing has nothing to do with Ilia. And that person she's worried about is probably long dead. This isn't going to help anyone. We're just going to hurt her, all over again."

"Come on, Link. We can't waste any leads! We're at a crucial stage-"

 _"Don't you GET it?!"_ he snapped, barely mindful of the fact that the rest of the house was meant to be sleeping. "I don't want to _do this,_ Midna! It would undermine the whole reason I started fighting. Ilia deserves better and I WON'T use anybody like this to get us to the end. I refuse!"

The imp withdrew her hand, frowning thoughtfully at the young man. For all the fighting they'd done, she'd learned that the best approach with him was to be gentle, as outside of her comfort zone it was. But this matter was far too urgent to soften with words. She needed to make him understand what was at stake. "Putting the girl through this isn't exactly my cup of tea, either," she continued, conveying her remorse. "But we tried it _your_ way and found nothing. We don't have time, Link. The longer we wait, the stronger **he** gets."

"I KNOW that!"

Link slammed his left fist onto the table, causing the tiny candle flame to flicker. He vaguely remembered that Ilia was actually a rather light sleeper, and paused to listen out for any sounds of movement from upstairs. After the brief diversion, he continued, far more quietly. "… There has to be some other way."

Midna held his gaze with an unapologetic intensity, her scorching red eyes and electric green veins glowing brightly in the dark. "The way I see it Link, we either do this or everybody in your world comes _that_ much closer to falling under Zant. I'm not being dramatic or trying to guilt you for my revenge. That's a fact. He took my kingdom from me like it was nothing, and my _people-"_

She froze, fearing that stupidity of her words had prematurely unravelled her identity in front of the Hero of Light. To her relief, Link merely regarded her with a withering expression.

"I'll get your home back, Midna. Just… not like this. Please."

Though it were not in her nature to blush, the Twilight Princess caught herself before she could falter. She would not be undone by such a careless mistake. "… It's not like I want anyone to relive their nightmares. But the alternative is _much_ worse than you might've tasted after our little adventures in the Twilight curtains. Hyrule will die without any connection to the light. And everything that you love, including Ilia, will be gone forever. There will be nothing left, Link."

Midna gave a thoughtful pause before continuing, watching the subtle conflict in Link's eyes as he envisioned the reality of such an outcome. "She's a strong girl, y'know. I think she'll be fine. She even volunteered to help you out! Doesn't that _remind_ you of someone? Someone who _gave everything in her power_ to help us?"

"… Zelda." His lips formed the word, though it was entirely inaudible. The faint smile of the Princess had haunted his dreams for weeks on end. She stood strong before the moment came, resolute in her decision to sacrifice herself for the grieving shadow. Midna had never been able to articulate her feelings on what had happened in the tower that night, though Link might've guessed as much through her usual avoidance of the subject.

"I know you're right." He budged, baring his teeth. "It's just… I thought that this was over. I thought Ilia would at least have some peace, here."

"What makes her exempt from this mess, Link?" The imp crossed her arms, looking away as she spoke. "Are you saying it's alright for the rest of us to burn just so your friend can be happy? Is it okay for Zelda to sacrifice herself so that we can waste the time she's bought us? Even if you're putting Ilia first, you're being selfish."

Selfish.

The word hit him like an anchor, dragging him down beneath the surface of the lake without a single scale of Zora amour. In his struggle for air, he'd wanted to grab onto someone, _anyone,_ who could pull him out without succumbing to the same fate. But that was impossible.

There was Ilia who had _asked him_ to free her from whatever traumas lay hidden in the recesses of her mind. And he'd pushed her away, however harshly he'd needed to in order to maintain the facade that everything was okay, and that the past was better left there. Shad seemed _just_ as fearful of being put into this position, but he was also willing to see it through, bearing responsibility for the consequences as they came. He'd acted in both of their steads without prejudice, and was a much needed face of neutrality in this conflict.

There were others to consider, too. Telma, Bo, and Rusl… all of whom, that would never completely forgive him if something happened to Ilia, beyond repair. Link wished that it could have been him in her position. However, the truth of Midna's words had settled the matter. Unless they did this and fixed the Dominion Rod in time, everybody would suffer the same fate. Everything that the light touched would simply cease to be. All of them would drown.

"Midna, I'm… sorry." Link was out of tears to shed for the moment, exhausted by the range of emotions he'd burned through in a single day. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, tilting his gaze upwards from the floor. "I won't hesitate or jeopardise our mission, anymore. I promise. There's too much riding on this."

"Good." Midna sighed, looking the slightest bit ashamed for having it all come to this. "I'll… give you some privacy. And I won't ask you to do anything like this again, if it can be helped. I know what they mean to you."

The Twilight Princess regarded him in some unreadable manner before she disappeared, diving back into his shadow as the candle flame flickered once more. The hero shuddered, feeling the chill of her presence fused back into his. 'Think about the rest of us, Link,' she reminded him faintly, from the dark. 'Our survival depends on you.'

* * *

"You want to do _what?!"_ Ashei snapped. "Do I look like I know the worst people in town, or something?"

"No! Not at all!" Ilia defended. "I just wanted information. If you happened to know of anyone who could do that type of work, I'd be grateful."

It was morning, and the two young women of the Resistance were in the midst of a private conversation, just outside from the prying ears of the bar.

Ashei definitely thought it strange when Ilia approached her directly for some type of help - and quietly wondered whether this was yet _another_ problem involving Shad - but had decided to hear her out, nonetheless. Her composure was soon shattered upon hearing that the younger girl planned on navigating the perilous seas of her subconscious mind, behind the backs of her two closest confidants.

The warrior growled under her breath, wondering how best to put the following words to Telma's protégé. Despite appearances, Ilia was not an especially fragile person. She was a survivor, she'd established _that_ much at the very least. But digging around in a bunch of traumatic memories? The warrior knew better than to encourage this. It was also clear that the scholar had refused to participate in such a thing. As he ought to have, because it was a _terrible_ idea.

"Listen, it's none of my business what you wanna do with yourself after that whole… thing, that happened," Ashei began, in a clearly uncomfortable tone. "But this isn't the answer. If you've forgotten about what happened, I'd call that a blessing. I've seen things out there that… after years of… ugh, you're lucky, okay? Seriously, Ilia."

"Ashei, I can't spend the rest of my life being scared. And whether I like it or not, the memories are starting to control me now." Ilia looked to the ground, refusing to cry anymore. "This is something that I need to do. "

"I don't think I can help you with this, farm girl. And my advice is not to trust any charlatan who says that they _can._ In this place, they'll just take your money and leave you worse off, yeah?"

The warrior frowned as she looked over the downtrodden girl, who was obviously running out of options. But this city was no Ordon Village. There was profit to be made by inept soldiers, quack doctors and a variety of other tricksters who preyed on poor unfortunate souls like this one."Look, Shad obviously cares about-"

"Shad doesn't get to decide how I recover!" Ilia snapped. "In fact, he's the only one willing to help me! But he won't do it because of Link! And now, probably because of _you."_

"Pfft, he doesn't always listen to me."

"He respects your opinion. And you could change it, if you wanted to."

Ashei was taken aback by the younger girl's fiery response. Though, in truth, she'd found herself admiring Ilia's determination.

"I mean… come on, you'd really wanna go through with this stupid idea? Don't get me wrong, I still think it's awful. But…"

Her dusky eyes had wandered over to the study window, quietly wondering what the scholar would've made of this mess. And there, she saw them.

Shad and Link were standing inconspicuously by the window, which was now slightly ajar... with the obvious intent of eavesdropping on their conversation. After a split-second delay, the two men scrambled madly around each other in an effort to escape the warrior's line of vision. She was sure she'd heard a crash onto the floor before she turned her attention back to the barmaid.

"But what?" Ilia frowned, trying to follow her gaze.

"But I need to commit a double homicide, that's what," Ashei finished, cracking her knuckles.

It hadn't taken very long for the armoured girl to slip back inside and power up the stairs in a flash of crimson and steel, her face darkened with violent purpose. She could've sworn that Telma had spotted her from the bar but the equally fierce redhead decided to stay out of it for whatever reason, possibly coming to the conclusion that whatever was about to happen was fully deserved.

 _"What the hell_ are you doing in here? Dragging me into your mess and then breaching my privacy like that?!" she roared, bursting in through the study door that had taken more than its fair share of abuse this week.

"Oh, g-good morning, Ashei!" Shad stumbled, halfway through climbing into the closet. Using his quick reflexes, Link had managed to wrap himself in the blanket from the table and dive onto the bed before she came in, pretending to be a pile of laundry. He remembered what the warrior could do to a beast three times their size and knew better than to put himself in the firing line.

"Don't _'good morning'_ me, you book-snake!" she growled.

"… What did you call me?"

Though the scholar was caught red-handed, he nearly choked on laughter at her insult.

"How _dare_ you spy on me? Both of you! You'd better start apologising or I'll lock you in there, myself!"

"Wait - stop this!" Ilia intervened, running in front of Shad. He could've cried with relief after seeing how effective Ilia was at subduing his usual cat-and-mouse game with Ashei. They'd gone nearly a week since their last fight, and as much as it frightened him to admit it, every visceral detail of that confrontation was still fresh in the back of his mind. "They were just looking out for me, incase I did something dangerous. Don't hurt anyone Ashei, please."

"Ilia," came a new voice. The three turned to see Link getting up off the bed, his sand-coloured hair a tousled mess from his unusual form of camouflage. "… Could you, um… close the door? I think we all need to talk."

Shad stepped away from the racks of clothing he'd planned to lose himself in and closed the closet door, suspecting a change in tactics from yesterday's study marathon. Ashei also stopped herself short from trapping the scholar in there indefinitely, noticing the unsettling nature of Link's tone. Finally, Ilia gave Link her full attention, after shutting the study door more quietly than anyone else had managed to do all week.

"Yes?"

She stood impatiently before him, arms folded. Refusing to accept anything less than an agreement.

"I've thought some more about what we discussed yesterday," he said, sounding a little more stilted than normal. "I'm so sorry to ask this of you, Ilia. I know you've already been through so much and I hate myself for it but… we're running out of options. I have something I need to fix and Shad won't be able to finish his research without it."

Ashei's attention snapped at the sudden change in approach from the swordsman. Hadn't Ilia just said that this was off-limits for him?

"So… if you could try to bring up those memories for us, you could be saving us a lot of time. Time that we don't have at this point. It could mean the difference between ending the war."

"Wait, seriously? You're not going ahead with this, are you?" the warrior cut in, finding herself invested in the issue at break-neck speed.

"Ashei, we need to let Ilia decide-"

 _"No!_ This is stupid and reckless! Are you going to be responsible for what happens if she becomes re-traumatised? Some of those memories stayed buried, probably for good reason!" A brief silence followed before the warrior spoke again, talking much softer than her usual abrasive custom. "You know what it's like, Link. Trying to forget something you wish you hadn't seen."

"Exactly. Which is why this war needs to end now."

After glancing between the two fighters, Ilia's gaze settled onto the quiet scholar, who spoke up with some measured reluctance. _"First_ and foremost, I realise that my opinion may be heavily biased due to my research hanging in the balance… but I will respect whatever it is that Ilia wishes to do. I will not be adding any more fuel to this fire."

"I expected better from you, Shad," Ashei glared, her words venomous. She'd found herself wanting to shake her friend for his lack of foresight. But the thought of being in close proximity to him during another argument had sent her quiet.

"Don't mistake me! I loathe this idea." The scholar sighed, momentarily removing his glasses to press his hand against his eyes. "It is deeply unethical and at too high a personal cost. But without it we might be stuck, indeterminately. And above all, this is Ilia's path."

"Everyone, stop! Please stop fighting over this." Ilia held the attention of the warring room, looking more decisive than ever. "When I said I'd do anything to help the Resistance, I was serious. So if there's even a _chance_ that I can stop whatever's happening to Hyrule now… I'll do it. There's too much riding on this. Your research-"

"Is secondary to your wellbeing," Shad interjected.

"Is _important_ and it will help Link. So I have to remember what happened." She wandered over to the scholar and squeezed his hand gently, causing Ashei to turn away in embarrassment. Meanwhile, the hero had sunken down onto the bed at some point during the argument, holding his head in both of his hands.

"… Thank you so much, Ilia. Thank you. I promise, I won't ask anything more. And if it doesn't work, I'll find some way to fix it. I'll find whatever I can to heal you."

"Don't pretend that you wouldn't you do to the same, in Ilia's position," Shad said gently, looking to Ashei.

She rolled her eyes in response. "Of course I would – because it's _my job._ I'm supposed to be expendable. Defenceless people like her? Not so much!"

"Nobody here is expendable! And I'm not some helpless victim. I don't want to sit here, waiting around for this town to be destroyed when I might've been able to help. So let's try this at least once, with your support. And Ashei, it's going to be fine," Ilia promised. She turned to face the armoured girl who had surprised _everybody_ by fighting in her stead, against Link and Shad. "It's nothing I can't handle. With all of you are here, I'll feel much safer."

"Oh, I'll be there. Someone has to smack these two into the ground if they make things worse."

"Alright, then," Link spoke up with a note of finality, feeling a lump in his throat. At once the other three turned their attention back to him after rising from the bed. His blue eyes were hardened with conviction, wearing a poker-face that could've rivalled Telma's on cards night. "Let's get this thing underway."

* * *

 **AN:** Thanks again to everyone for sticking with this so far! Loads of shipping planned after this arc so let's push through it. And remember that bad times are just times that are bad. ;)


	17. Light as a Feather

**AN:** This was a tricky chapter to get through, I appreciate the feedback and am excited to move onwards!

* * *

 **Chapter 17 - Light as a Feather  
**  
"Hold your horses." Ashei exhaled sharply. She recognised Link's eagerness to throw himself into the flames and stepped in to give him pause, her mission set. "We've gotta lay out the groundwork, first. If this is going to happen, it needs to be done _properly."_

"Pardon the interruption but… do we have your word then, that you'll harbour our secret while we do this?" Shad prompted. He and Ilia looked to her in unison.

She back a scowl, irked by the level of naivety they embodied in this moment. "Yes! … Obviously! But don't _push_ me, Shad. You're lucky I'm not turning you in. Have you actually seen Telma when she's out for blood? That's one woman I don't ever plan on pissing off, and you might as well be her kid."

Ilia bowed her head, knowing it was true. And that certainly, this decision would be putting Shad's integrity on the line.

"Please, don't say anything to her now," Link protested. He moved in close to Ashei and placed his hand on the side of her upper arm, causing her to recoil. "If not for Ilia, then for _me?"_

"I'm not here to obstruct you, Link," she responded, wearily. Weeks of fighting had taken their toll on her mental health and she accepted the fact that taking everything at face value in this place caused far more problems than it had solved. If the young hero _truly_ thought that this was worth doing, then she would wait. And observe the outcome. "That means we'll all be implicated in this. And in that case, I'm here to ensure it'll go well."

"Then we thank you for your discretion, Ashei," Shad murmured.

She turned her attention to Ilia, assessing the younger girl in the morning light. It was difficult to tell whether she had always been this thin but the shadows under her eyes only darkened with time. "Well then, farm girl… you'll need time to recover after we do this. Most importantly, we need to pick a time when we _can't_ be interrupted."

"So, what would work best?" Link enquired.

"Happy hour," Ilia recommended. "It's full-on busy downstairs, so we won't be bothered."

"And we need a contingency plan." Ashei glared at Link. "What are YOU going to do about this, if it becomes a disaster?"

He clenched his teeth, turning his gaze away from Shad who regarded him with an empty expression. His eyelids were heavy, narrowed. "… If it goes wrong Ilia, and you find something you don't want to remember… I'll let Telma know on your behalf. If it's serious, I can take you to Renado. Immediately."

"I'll go with you," Shad decided, without a moment's hesitation.

"… Thank you - _all_ _of you_ \- for worrying so much. Hopefully it won't come to that but I'll do my best to be strong."

To say that Shad feared the wrath of the proprietress for dredging up Ilia's memories was a massive understatement. At the very least, he expected to be homeless, and for their friendship to be irreparably fractured. From day one, Telma had _trusted_ him to do the right thing around the embattled girl, and up until this point, everything had seemed so easy. But now? He had chosen to defy her, to free Ilia from her memories.

The fact that Ashei was aware of this and her offer to help them _anyway_ spoke volumes about the level of responsibility she was willing to take on. She wanted them all to succeed, in spite of the cost. That much was clear.

"So, we'll meet here tonight? At six o'clock?" Link confirmed with the group.

"Sounds like a _great_ evening. We're in."

"I shan't be anywhere else."

"And, uh… you're sure that you still want this?" he asked, turning once more to his best friend. "It's not too late to back out, you know. If you ever change your mind."

"I'm positive," Ilia nodded. "I need to know if this can work, Link. Otherwise I'll never feel completely like myself again. I'll always be… halfway here."

Shad sighed. "Nayru, watch over us all."

* * *

Like clockwork, the group dispersed back to their regular duties, maintaining the illusion that everything was back to normal. Ilia wore a smile as she threw on her apron back on and joined Telma on the bar floor, keeping herself busy for the rest of the day. There was no escaping the fact that tonight might change her forever and she refused to spend any of the time leading up to that moment worrying. Even if her fingers trembled as she deposited money into the till.

"Are you feeling better today, honey?" Telma had asked.

As twilight bathed the city streets in orange and the manner of bar patrons changed, the barmaid took this cue to hang up her work clothes and commence her disappearing act. "Goodnight, Telma! And Rusl, and Auru. And you too, Louise," she said with a bow, voice cutting through the noise.

After a brief moment alone in her room, Ilia tore down the curtains that were draped over the dresser mirror. She flinched at first, before staring back at her reflection. Her hands were pressed against the bench to stop them from shaking. This whole experience had felt like living within a dream. One that she was fully prepared to wake up from, if it would stop the fears that gripped her each night. Resolute in her decision, she then departed for the study.

Link and Shad had been talking amongst themselves, quietly. Ashei leaned against one of the tables with her arms folded.

"Ah yes, Ilia…! It appears to be time," Shad welcomed. He refused to let his fear command the rest of the evening.

She noticed a single pillow on the floorboards surrounded by candles, casting odd shadows around the room where there were normally none to be found. In front of this pillow was the black book that started it all, sitting face-down before she would meet it again.

"Um, here. Take a seat," Link offered, gesturing to the spot on the floor they'd prepared for the ritual. "We were just… going over everything. Shad's put some guidelines into place."

"Indeed I have, I would not have you undergo this dreadful process without the necessary protections."

Ilia settled onto the pillow as the others joined her, creating a circle between them. Shad leaned forward as he addressed her, smiling in a manner that very nearly masked his anxiety for the following act. For he'd known, deep down, that if _he_ couldn't keep it together, the others would lose their grip on their emotions. Link would immediately return to punishing himself, spiralling down into that headspace where everything that had happened was _his_ _fault._ And Ashei would be back on the offense, probably threatening to blow up the entire tavern.

All of which, would make everything that much worse for Ilia.

"We will need to decide upon a key thought or phrase that can ground you back into the present, should you ever find yourself feeling… overwhelmed," he began, delving back into his theoretical mind-set. "The idea is that your reaction will be mitigated by this _other_ memory. Ideally, it will be something powerful. Something that fills you with joy, or peace."

"You mean like… a safe place?" Ilia simplified.

"Yes! Precisely!" Shad beamed back at her. "For instance, if it were _me,_ I would probably choose to retreat to… the Royal Archives." He sighed, feeling a little embarrassed at how silly and straight-laced this must've seemed to the other three in the room.

"You would choose that," Ashei scoffed.

After shooting an oddly defiant look in return, the scholar closed his eyes and pressed on, hoping to give a decent enough illustration of this concept. _"Ahem…_ for instance, I may recall its painted ceiling and polished floors. Its intricate shelves of carved wood and gold. That faint, peculiar smell of the books, and… ah, that feeling of _wonderment_ in the air! To know that these authors and their knowledge yet linger in this world, their flames of passion spurning my research onward!"

The scholar opened his eyes to a silent room before he coughed into his hand, blushing slightly. "W-Would you happen to have any ideas for such a place, Ilia?"

"I do, actually! I completely get it."

Ilia met Link's gaze and the two Ordonians smiled at each other, bringing levity into the room for what felt like the first time that day. "There's a famous spring near my village, along the forest trail not far from Link's house. It has waterfalls with soft white sand… and it's at the bottom of this cliff, covered in moss and vines. Grass-whistles grow along the water's edge, where you can see the frogs… sometimes rabbits, foxes and deer, with their babies in the warmer months. And the air smells like the rain."

"It's the best spot. If you come and visit, we'll take you there," Link insisted, looking intently towards Shad and Ashei.

"Ah, yes! It sounds perfect for this exercise!" the scholar gleamed, momentarily removed from the gravity of the situation. "Which, erm… brings us back to the procedure. I wonder then, would you able to close your eyes and conjure the image of these springs on command, for me?"

Ilia nodded and obeyed, taking in and following the scholar's instructions. She was only vaguely aware of Ashei climbing to her feet and moving quietly in the background, throwing glances out of the window and pausing to listen for movement. She _loathed_ the idea of sneaking around like this - like a thief, or a rat _-_ but in that brief moment of peace, she saw herself doubling-down on her promise. Nobody was going to jeopardise this operation on her watch.

"… Good. This is excellent, Ilia. Well then, I think we may be in a position to proceed?" the scholar finalised, catching the attention of the other two. One of the candles danced briefly with smoke, casting shadows against his pointed face. Link nodded slowly before he reached out and took Ilia's hand. He clasped it gently in support. Shad cleared his throat before he spoke again, his chest heavy with new guilt.

"Oh, erm, forgive me, old boy… but I believe that this might _distract_ Ilia from the sensations one might experience when conjuring their repressed memories. As much as it pains me to say."

"I'll get through this just fine," Ilia smiled, slipping out of Link's calloused fingers.

Link allowed his face to fall back into a neutral expression. He found it easier to pretend that this were yet another battle to overcome. "Sorry," he apologised, mostly to Shad. "I'm ready. And I'll be right here, Ilia. If you want to stop this, _at any point,_ let me know. Please."

"I will," she promised.

Feeling that it might finally be _her_ turn to venture into the beyond and leave Link behind, Ilia leaned in close and wrapped her arms around him, doing her best to mimic one of the arm-crushing hugs he left in his wake. He squeezed her back, wondering at the dark fragments they might soon discover.

"Ashei?" Shad prompted, pulling the warrior's attention away from the window.

 _"What?_ … Yeah. I'm good. Sooner, the better." After busying herself with measures such as cramming sheets under the door and pulling the curtains shut in an effort to reduce any noise, the warrior joined them once again on the floor. She arched, slightly, poised to get up at a moment's notice.

"Indeed," Shad sighed. "Which brings us to you, Ilia? Remember what we talked about. Should you give us any indication that you aren't coping, I will attempt to bring you back to the place that we talked about."

"I'm ready as I'll ever be." She nodded.

And then suddenly, the scholar felt all of the eyes in the room on him. It was his turn to pause. Not a soul in the room could have asked him, earnestly, if he were ready for something like this. How _could_ he be? Months of care and trust were about to be undone by his own clumsy hands. The same ones he'd only ever used to support Ilia when she needed it most.

In a moment of light-headedness, Shad wondered if he might really be lost, and if there was someone _else_ inside of him, pulling the strings leading up to this moment. But these thoughts were soon grounded by the others in the room. Ilia took his gaze with a calm focus, looking stronger and more courageous than he could've ever recalled. He was immensely proud of the peaky girl who'd fallen into their care - emaciated and completely covered in bruises - only to come out of it fighting. Never letting the terror so much as _scratch_ her caring personality.

Next to her was Link, whose brave optimism was frozen in time. He tightened his hold over his emotions, praying they would not escape into the room. Asking this of Ilia had undoubtedly fractured his values and he wore the face of a man who was bound by duty. Shad's objectivity came at a steep price but he was more than willing to pay it on behalf of the younger man.

Finally, there was Ashei, who looked strangely vulnerable and out of her element for the first time. She had thrown her lot in with the strange group and took a moment to scan Shad with her eyes, wondering at the scholar's aptitude for such an awful position.

 _'I will do it for them. For all of us.'_

"Alright," he breathed. "Close your eyes, Ilia. I'd like you to try and recall this image as I describe it to you. You are looking at a single, open eye, staring directly ahead… with three sharp triangles in the place of its lashes. And the bottom lid is swooping downward, into the form of a tear."

"Hmm." Ilia stirred as her eyebrows began to knot, slightly.

"If you could hold out your hand, you may trace the image for yourself." Shad placed the book of the Sheikah under the younger girl's fingertips with trepidation, unaware of the fact that he'd held his breath as he did so.

"… I can see it," she murmured, carefully running her fingers over the imprint on the cover.

"Good. Most excellent. You're doing very well. Tell me then, how does this make you… feel?"

Link and Ashei turned to Ilia in unison, as though their attention were caught in the grip of some fascinating duel.

"I-I, uh."She paused, her breathing erratic. "… I feel… like… like there's pins and needles in my _hands._ And in my face. My legs are heavy, like stones at the bottom of the river, and it feels like… the air around me is on fire, like I'll be burned if I move." Ilia bit onto her bottom lip, scrunching her face up in fear.

"Ah, y-yes!" Shad intervened, doing his best to maintain a steady tone of voice. "These are all perfectly valid feelings. But Ilia, you _must_ try to understand that this is all they are. These sensations alone don't mean to cause you harm. You are simply _revisiting_ them as you recall the moment in which they occurred. And you may leave at any time. Could you please repeat what I said back to me?"

"I'm… revisiting this moment."

"And you can leave at any time."

"And I can…"

Whether it had happened out of confusion or a false sense of security, Ilia opened her eyes to the stark, blood-red image of the eye emblazoned upon the cover of the book, framed perfectly by the scholar's hands. And then all at once, the peace shattered.

"AGH!"

She turned away violently, one hand clutching onto her face as though she were about to be sick. The other scratched _hard_ into the floor, trailing marks upon the wood. Shad fell forward to steady her once again, throwing the book aside to hold her in place.

 _"Ilia!_ Please, listen to me! You are back home in the Ordon Springs, surrounded by light and flowing water-"

Light and flowing water. The image of Link's body, face-down in the springs flashed once more in her mind. What had once been a place of healing and escape from the burdens of town had turned into a nightmare. She watched her friend die in the crystal waters - thrashing at first, before he inhaled that terrible mixture of blood and water. His arm drifted upon the water's surface, light pouring out from the back of his hand.

"What have you _done?"_ Ashei accused, her voice distorted under the blanket of fear that Ilia's cognition had unleashed.

"Hey, Ilia! It's me! Can you hear me?!" Link called out after her.

"… Ilia?"

* * *

"Oh, you poor dear."

Ilia's eyes opened to the sight of a much older woman who stared up at her with forlorn, hooded eyes. She was much smaller in stature and wore a simple garb, not unlike the modest clothing back in Ordon Village, signifying her rural status.

"We found her on the trail, just on the outskirts of town," an older man's voice had said from behind.

"Looks like she's had a run-in with that traveling pack of Bulblins. Those ones with the big leader," another growled. "Don't know how a girl like this could've escaped though, she's tiny."

Ilia was startled by the sudden dryness of her mouth, noticing that the rest of her throat was parched dry from a lack of water. A chasm radiated out of her stomach and gnawed into the rest of her aching body. For whatever reason, she had refused to eat anything for days, and was now entering into a state of delirium. Whatever meagre energy she once possessed had been spent on her escape.

Her trembling fingers, heavily laden with dirt under the nails, scratched hard against the redness of her neck - feeling as though some kind of weight had been recently lifted from that area.

"Well, let's not waste any time then. Bring her inside and I'll see about finding some medicine for her."

"Elder Impaz, are you sure that… erm… an _outsider_ like this won't cause us any trouble?"

The tranquil aura of the older lady was immediately broken by the glare she wielded as she turned, chastising the younger man for his rudeness. "Solke, you would shame us all with your inhumanity! Where is your sense of honour? What if it were one of your daughters on the outskirts of that Hylian city! Would you expect them to throw her to the wolves, like savages?"

"N-No, ma'am!" the older man bowed, averting his gaze. "Even _if_ the Royal Family's forgotten about us."

"Come this way, child. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Wh… what is this place?" she asked, in a voice that felt very much unlike her own.

"Oh, nowhere special I'm afraid." The older woman met her fear with a kind smile, one that reached up into her eyes. "Just a lonely village in the mountains. Nobody tends to come this way anymore, you're quite lucky to have found us here."

Ilia let her tired legs carry her through the dusty town, which looked to be in a state of disrepair - perhaps without the blessings of lush fields and abundant rivers to keep it independently sustained.

At the very end of the corridor of buildings was a house that looked sturdier than any other in the village. Although it felt her first time seeing it, her gut told her that this couldn't be the case. She had been here before. The house grew brighter as she drew closer, leaping out like a beacon through the fog of memories.

 _This_ was the place she most needed to remember.

Yes, she affirmed.

 _'Here it is. Here's where everything… really went wrong.'  
_

* * *

"Oh good heavens, no. Not again! This cannot happen _again!_ What an utter catastrophe!" Shad fretted, grabbing fistfuls of his hair.

"Hey, wait… put her down. And stop panicking," Ashei instructed. Her eyes flickered over Ilia who looked to be sleeping, more than anything. Exhausted, with no signs of sickness. "She doesn't look like she's in any pain, yeah? And her eyes… they're moving around, like she's dreaming."

The two older members of the Resistance paced around the room as they spoke. All the while, the swordsman hadn't budged from her side. He brushed her hair out of the way with his fingers.

"… Li… Link…" Ilia stirred.

Shad's gaze flashed down at him with surprise and the hero felt himself blushing, despite the terrible situation at hand.

"Was she doing that last time?" Ashei asked.

"Er… well, come to think of it, no. She wasn't talking at all." Shad blinked as the realisation dawned upon him. "B-But this cannot be good either! What ever am I going to _do?_ The safe memory we established didn't work!" Wishing he could've had some of that steely personality for himself, he gripped onto the warrior and shook her, eyes wide with alarm.

"Stop - _shaking_ \- me!" Ashei cried out, wrestling him away. She could feel her heart beating in her ears as she tore herself free, refusing to let anyone else see her reaction. "Get a hold of yourself, Shad! You're an adult."

"Ah, you're right. This situation calls for composure." The scholar took a deep breath and began counting to himself.

"… So, is this… all gonna be okay?" Link asked, looking to Ashei more than Shad. At the moment, he seemed far more baffled than afraid. "I mean, if Ilia's not in any pain and she's still conscious then she'll wake up eventually. Right?"

"I think we should just watch and listen for now. No use getting our heads bitten off by Telma. We can still take her to the doctor after, if things seem weird."

"Y-Yes. Good plan as always, Ashei," Shad praised, massaging his temples as he spoke.

Link readjusted the pillow beneath his friend as he watched over her, tuning out most of the arguing in the background. Ilia's hands, which had gone completely limp at one stage, curled delicately around the hem of his tunic as she muttered his name again. A feverish sweat had broken out onto her face.

"I'm here, now," Link assured her, quietly.

* * *

"Link?" the older woman repeated.

Ilia sat on the floor of the old cottage by a fireplace, nursing a bowl of soup in her hands. "Yes… he's out there somewhere, looking for me. I… saved him from something terrible. And I know he won't rest until I'm found. It would probably kill him… if I never make it back."

"Ah, how courageous of him. But I'm sorry to tell you that I've never met anyone with that name before."

"… Oh… that's alright."

The Ordonian frowned, though she felt some humanity returning to her for the first time in weeks. Sitting here and having a proper conversation with another person felt so strange, that she held some irrational fear of waking up. There was no way she could go _back_ to those reptilian growls from before. Hissing at them when they pulled her onto their saddles. Smacking them away when they tried to feed her.

"It looks like you could use a proper rest, dear. And we can heat some water up for you, if you'd like to take a bath."

"I… I'm sorry, if I'm being rude… I never even asked for your name. What… did those men call you?" Ilia struggled, doing her best to stay present in the moment.

"You can call me Impaz." The lady smiled.

"My name is… Ilia."

Saying it now, she'd realised that her name had begun to feel like a _foreign_ word, as though Ilia were somebody else, somebody who lived far away from here. Ilia had no concept of this desolate place or any of the strange people in it.

As her eyes combed over the room, she noticed the painting of a red eye, stretching wide across the ceiling. The older woman smiled back at her in amusement, taking in the girl's startled reaction. "Oh, it might look scary to you but there's nothing to fear. It's the Eye of Truth." She laughed, as though it were the most normal thing in the world to have in one's house.

"We used to serve the Royal Family, a very long time ago."

"… The Royal Family… you mean… like Princess Zelda?" Ilia recalled. She'd heard that name at home from Rusl, whose son she had paid a heavy price for.

"Yes. This poor village is a haven for all who remain. We are the descendants of the Sheikah."

After that, the rest of the evening slipped by, in a blur.

The dizzying levels of exhaustion in her body - which felt like a prison of pain - were slowly countered by the few bites of bread she'd managed to get down. The wounds on her legs had been cleared of dirt for the first time in weeks, allowing them to finally breathe. And then, she'd found herself marvelling at the softness of the pillow and sheets on the floor, running her hands over the strange textures as she stared up at the ceiling.

The Eye stared right back down at her, leaving a shadowed imprint on the other side of her lids as she closed her eyes.

* * *

A gentle rap on the door had immediately sent a jolt of adrenaline into the study group, who stared at each other from across the room, united in their panic. The scholar, ever the first to overreact, slumped onto the floor and draped his hand over his face, fearing all of the possible ways he might be destroyed by Telma for so blatantly disregarding her rules.

"Goddesses! This is the end," he muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, Link - who refused to move - mouthed a couple of words to their most capable partner. Ashei nodded before she walked over to the door, collecting herself before she would engage with the intruder. She was highly conscious of the fact that showing any sign of fear would blow their cover, and so, she lived in hope that by holding a _normal_ conversation she could send person away.

"… Auru?" she hissed, after prying the door open a scant couple of centimetres. "What are you _doing_ here? Can it wait?"

"Telma suspects that something nefarious might be underway in the study," he informed them, keeping his voice low. "I'd say you all have about ten minutes or so before she places _me_ behind the bar and comes up to investigate it for herself."

"Ugh. For Din's sake Auru, what the hell does she think could be happening in here? Tell her we're reading. Not anything to do with our operations, _obviously."_

"Reading? In this awfully lit room?"

To make matters worse, Link and Shad had already started their own ruse in the background, awkwardly shuffling around to the illusion of a ballroom dance, at the scholar's insistence. The warrior brought her hand to her forehead, suppressing the urge to turn around and wring their necks in front of their colleague.

"Come now, Ashei. Lying was never one of your strong suits," Auru scolded, shaking his head.

"Well, what would _you_ know about this, old man?" she snapped, turning the tables back against him. "It's not like you have any proof of anything."

"I'm not one to boast about the good old days but I served as a spy, during the war. A rather successful one, I might add. Your little operation is not quite as _indiscernible_ as you'd like to believe."

The warrior tolerated his presence, rigid, though impressed. "… What'd you mean?"

"To begin, you and Ilia held some manner of private discussion this morning, followed by an argument upstairs. After that, the _four_ of you left on suspiciously good terms, keeping quiet for the rest of the day. I don't believe we've ever known such peace with all of you here. "

Ashei had let the door drift open to the point where her expression was now entirely visible. She'd failed to reign in the look of surprise on her face. "… Damn it! I knew I should've locked that weasel up when I had the chance."

"This all seems to have happened in lieu of our new rule - that Ilia is to be kept _out_ of earshot of any talks involving the war. So, if I had to guess, I'd say that her memories hold something important for you, no? Is that close?"

"Remind me again, how we got you on board?" she sighed.

Auru merely smirked and folded his arms in response. "I cannot oppose this meeting of yours, given the little information I currently possess," he conceded. "I also feel that if you were to support such a thing, Ashei, then there must be some sound reason in it. That is why I've come to warn you. After all, what kind of spy would I be if I were not aware of such things?"

Allowing herself to be speechless for a moment, the warrior glanced over her shoulder in the dark. She saw Ilia - who was still out cold - resting on the pillows, though she held Link and Shad tightly in each hand. Ashei turned to face Auru once more, resolute in her decision to protect them until the younger girl was out of the woods.

"… We need more time. Can you stall Telma for us? Please?" she murmured. "I'll… owe you one. But right now, it's _really_ important that we aren't interrupted. I can explain later but-"

A voice rang out from downstairs which very much sounded like the proprietress, summoning the _actual_ spy she'd sent their way to gather information.

"Stall her? My, even I couldn't keep such a woman away from the person of her concern," Auru admitted, beginning to look a little sheepish.

Ashei wracked her head for a solution, asking herself what might feasibly work to delay the barkeeper. "Look you're a… gentleman, right? Talk to her about her hair or something! Tell her it looks really good when she wears her locks out. She got those new earrings recently - compliment those. Come on, she's not over the hill yet and she loves hearing that type of stuff, yeah?"

"I can… give it a shot, I suppose. I certainly can't make any promises as to its effectiveness but…"

"Well Auru, what kind of spy would you _be?"_ she scoffed, throwing his own words back at him before she slammed the door shut. "As if this couldn't get any worse. We've got a problem."

The three huddled together on the floor before Link and Shad propped Ilia into a sitting position. They spoke to her gently, doing their best to wake her without force.

"Ilia, it's _me…_ and we're here in town, with Link," Shad soothed.

Link clenched his teeth again, his attention flickering between him and Ilia. More than ever, he found himself grateful that the scholar was here to shoulder some of the burden. Though, that wouldn't be enough to save him if they failed now. He began to shake her arm, his voice growing more insistent as the seconds ticked by.

* * *

The faint smell of smoke crept into the cottage under the front door, rousing Ilia from her fitful sleep.

Disoriented, she shot upright, shoving the blankets away, before she dashed over to the window and peered outside. Her instincts urged her to keep hidden as she did so, perhaps already knowing what was about to happen. Her eyes widened in abject horror as she took in the sight of the village, now completely aflame.

The Bulblins launched their attack in the dead of night, the furthest buildings reduced to husks from the raid. Their shrieking cries cut through the walls, punctured by screams and the sound of metal clashing against metal, likely coming from the remaining citizens. Arrows whistled through the air, glancing off the roof of the house and then embedding themselves into the dirt.

"Oh, there you are! Ilia!"

The pale girl turned around to face Impaz, who met her bleary gaze with untapped sadness.

"They're here." She trembled. "They're _here,_ Impaz. They probably came looking for me. Goddesses, this is _all my fault! I led them here!"  
_  
Ilia saw herself crash onto the floor, crying into her hands as she hyperventilated, choking for air in the smoke. Hot tears splashed onto the ground, leaking out from her starving fingers. This young girl, who had never left her village, couldn't have imagined a worse existence than running from these monsters forever. Somehow, she had it made it this far. But now, the nightmare would never end. _Now,_ she had the blood of an entire village on her hands.

It was too much.

And she had reached the end of her limit.

 _'None of this is really happening…'_ she sobbed, accepting the mantra in bad faith. 'I'm not really Ilia… _I'm not…'  
_  
"Shhh. You can't blame yourself for this, dear," Impaz responded, almost knowingly. She patted her on the back as she continued. "An attack like this was always bound to happen. Hyrule has only gotten more dangerous over time... and with so few people left to defend the village, well..."

The shaken girl stared back at her through her hands, too frightened to move. "… They can't catch me again," she whispered.

"No. You can't stay here anymore, it's far too dangerous."

Ilia was now only scarcely aware of what was happening. She let herself be led away, out of reach from the smoke and screams that had all but perforated the home. She descended into a cellar with the help of the mysterious older woman, who pressed something into her hands, saying something along the lines of it bringing her luck.

"There are many hidden passages in these mountains," Impaz explained. "This one will take you out into the fields, just north of Hyrule Castle Town. You'll be welcomed there with open arms - if you can make the rest of the journey. You must promise me that you'll try."

"What about you?" Ilia sobbed, regarding the older woman with fear and reverence. "I can't just _leave you_ in this place! The monsters, they'll-"

"Don't you worry about that. I'll be safe here," she promised. Against all of the odds, Impaz met her concern with a smile. "You see, I'm bound by Royal decree to stay in this village… and I cannot leave until I've met with the Messenger of the Heavens."

"… Impaz."

The younger girl sniffed loudly, choking back another wave of tears. If she were to survive, then she would have to have to pull herself together _one more_ time. She would have to be brave, just like Link.

"Thank you so much, Impaz… I… won't forget you."

* * *

Ilia's eyes flew open.

She gasped for air, feeling as though she had just emerged from the bottom of a lake. There was a new and unpleasant feeling, like cold water against her face, as she flailed against something soft and hard - something _living._ Before she could piece together the mystery of where she was, she stalled, finding herself immersed in the scents of _home._ Or at the very least, something that reminded her very much of home.

It was like hay.

Hay, intermingled with the musk of the forest.

"… You're back!" Link gasped, his eyes overflowing with relief. "She's back! Everyone, she's awake!"

The disoriented girl found herself curled in his lap, supported in his arms. Her hands were full of something soft and she looked down to see his leaf-green hat - his colours offset by the glow in the room.

"Great Goddesses, Ilia! You gave us quite the turn. I was beginning to fear that we'd made a terrible mistake…" Shad breathed, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. "I am most eternally sorry, my dear. We should _never_ have done this without testing your limits, first."

In a manner that might've resembled one of the drunken patrons downstairs, Ilia pried herself away from Link and sat upright on her own accord. In all their years of friendship, she could never recall hanging onto him _this_ closely for such a long period of time, and was a little unnerved at just how natural and reassuring it had felt.

"… Thank you, Link," she murmured, handing his hat back to him slowly.

"Um… don't mention it." He gripped onto the back of his neck and breathed a sigh of relief. Shad rubbed his shoulders, hoping to reassure him.

After that, the three exchanged glances. A moment of silence passed before they smiled, mirroring each other, united in the hope that they were finally safe. And then - seemingly out of nowhere - the trio fell into each other on the floor. They bundled together into a tight embrace, with Ilia occupying the small space between Link and Shad. Their hands met as they held onto each other, unabashedly.

"Well, not to be rude but thank fuck for _that!"_ Ashei interrupted from nearby, folding her arms.

"Ashei. Get over here," Link commanded. His voice was muffled by the clothing on Shad's arm.

"… What? Ohh, no." The warrior blinked wildly, her mouth pointing into a frown. She cast a look over her shoulder, watching the door as though it were about to break open at any moment. "I, uh... I don't hug people," she protested.

"A lie, if I ever did hear one. You seem to have no problem hugging Telma," Shad argued, not bothering to open his eyes at her.

"Fine. I don't hug people, sober."

"How sober are you, at nine o'clock in the morning?"

"Oh for… if it'll _shut you up!"_ Ashei capitulated. And then she slipped in close, giving the awkward group a rough squeeze before she pulled away and coughed, evading Link's attempts to trap her in there.

"Wait a second - Shad!" Ilia gasped. She broke the group apart, her eyes swimming with alarm. The scholar blushed, his connection to the others still intact

"Wh-What is it?"

"Get one of your notebooks out! Quickly! We need to write some stuff down."


	18. Thick as Thieves

**AN:** /Wipes the blackboard back to "0 Days Since Our Last Nonsense"

We'll be wrapping things up for the next story arc. At the moment I'm projecting around 26-28 chapters? But who knows! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 18 - Thick as Thieves**

The following morning was calm like any other, with the usual host of citizens making their daily commute on the streets outside. The bar itself had seemed to echo this image of normality until one realised just _how_ quiet it'd remained some hours after the sun had risen. This had only cemented Telma's suspicions that something else was unravelling in her midst.

After setting a morning coffee and the daily newspaper down in front of Rusl, the veteran bartender met his thanks with a subtle frown.

"Something the matter, my friend?" he enquired, feeling mildly perturbed at the occasion.

"… Kids!" Telma exclaimed, throwing her hands up and then shaking her head. "How do _you_ deal with them, honey? I try to give people their freedom - and trust them to do the right thing - but as soon as I put rules into place, it feels like all they want to _do_ is burn their fingers on the stove. Have I been too laidback all this time?"

Rusl chuckled, knowing immediately who was involved and wondering what they might've done to invoke such a response. "I think it does young people a lot of good to learn things for themselves. You can stand there and tell them what to do all day but it's not the same as letting them have a go, whether they fail or succeed."

"So, your advice is to hold off and do nothing?" Telma frowned again, her eyebrows lowering. "Well, not to sound _too_ bold honey but you must have the best behaved son in the world."

"Oh, that is hardly the case! Though, something tells me that I'm in for a very rebellious teenager." He laughed suddenly before clearing his throat.

"Allow me to amend my advice, then. We had _quite_ the incident at home before I left… you see, one of the children ran into the forest thinking that they were capable of defending themselves. In a situation like that, when you can recognise somebody acting well beyond his or her limits, it's important to intervene. But with age comes knowledge. And practice. We were fortunate to have Link with us, that day."

"They have experience enough between them! But still, I worry about that Ilia, honey. I get the feeling that I'm missing something _important._ I have a responsibility to her, you know!"

The proprietress sighed, wondering how her younger and more impulsive self might've interpreted her actions now. Rusl met her frustration with a smile that betrayed most of the lines in his face.

"Telma, I think you've made helpful choices. This change of scenery has been beneficial to Ilia's growth, she no longer sees the outside world as a source of fear or pain. And with Shad and Link's support, she seems more herself now than you might've guessed possible in the beginning. You should trust in that, I think."

"… I'll tell you what though, I'm _still_ getting to the bottom of what happened last night," she glowered, perching one of her hands onto her hip. "How am I meant to help anyone in this place unless I know what's going on?"

As if on cue, the front door chimed opened to reveal Shad, Ilia and Link.

The latter appeared to have gone swimming. Recently. Though the morning sun had evaporated most of the water from his tunic, the swordsman's hair still clung to his face in dark, golden bundles. And although he were _too_ polite to say anything about it, Shad noticed that the younger man had begun to smell like a mixture between a city drain and a swamp.

"You're back!" Telma beamed, changing gears from her conversation with Rusl. "Did you all go for a nice walk outside this morning?"

The three hastily copied her enthusiasm.

"Oh, yeah! We went out to pick up supplies," Link grinned.

In truth, they'd just returned from the northern moat, having scoped it out for hours. As much as they might have hoped otherwise, there was no sign of the wooden statue Ilia had taken with her into the city, and they were forced to return to the bar empty-handed.

"How practical of you! You three ought to be joined by the wrist, spending so much time together like this."

As though to warn the young hero of what was to come, Rusl packed the entirety of his morning ritual up off the desk and walked past the group to retire upstairs. After that, Telma's tone shifted into one that was _not_ to be trifled with. "Now… I'd like all of you to sit down, please."

Around the same time, Ashei brushed past Rusl on the stairs without making a sound. In turn, he kept her position secret with a wink. But almost immediately after, she noticed the trio gathered together in what appeared to be an interrogation set-up. She turned silently on her heel, resolving to ditch the tavern via the window in her room instead. However, Telma followed Link's gaze over her shoulder.

"… Ashei, honey? Would you come down here for moment?" she called.

The warrior scowled, unable to recall a time in recent memory where she'd actually gotten into _trouble_ like this.

"… Yes, Telma." She sighed, begrudgingly, before coming down the stairs and pulling up a chair. After a moment's hesitation, she turned to face Link, scrunching her face up in disgust. _"Whoa,_ there. You smell like the gutter."

"Uh, really? I don't know what you mean." He shot her a pointed look and tilted his head towards Telma.

"Now, I'd like to get to the bottom of what happened last night," the proprietress interrupted, scanning over the group up with a stern gaze.

Link snapped his attention forward. "W-What?"

"An evening of frivolity, if I may be so bold!" Shad laughed, cutting in over the top. "Can you believe that not one of these simple country types ever learned how to dance? Why, I thought, this simply must not do."

Ilia frowned at the scholar and then kicked the leg of his chair, protesting his unfortunate choice of words. He found himself flinching at the look on her face.

"I might be getting _on_ in my years, honey, but you can't pull one over me in my own tavern. You think I don't know what a man flirting under duress looks like?"

"Nice going, Auru," Ashei rolled her eyes.

"Let's start with you, honey. I think you seem the most likely to tell the truth," Telma said, adopting a calmer voice as she addressed Ilia.

Admittedly, the younger girl had found herself out of sorts from having her integrity put on the spot for the first time. "Uh… w-well… you see, Telma… I didn't want to make things harder for you than I already have by _being_ here. You already do so much and I couldn't ask you for anything more. So I went to Link and Shad for help-"

The scholar bit onto his lip in panic, shielding his eyes from the impassioned woman.

"Telma, it was all me! I… did it!" Link interrupted suddenly.

"Did what, exactly?" The proprietress moved in front of him, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. "I need some straight answers here, young man!"

Ilia rose to her feet, commanding the full attention of the room.

"The truth is I asked them to help me get my memories back!" she confessed. "So last night, we set off my shut-down response, on purpose. But Telma… you need to understand that I _made_ them do it. It's my fault. So please, don't be mad at them!"

Telma looked back at her, utterly floored and unable to respond. Ilia could only wonder whether she'd been burned more so than rattled by this piece of information. But when her shock ended, the lioness came tearing out.

"You went and did this after I specifically asked _you NOT TO?!"_ she thundered, throwing her fury at Shad. The scholar winced, unable to defend himself. "Ilia, what if you'd hurt yourself, honey? Do you have any idea what position this would put me in with your family? You've got a father back at home who loves you!"

"I… I know."

"And there are others this could've affected too. This whole war situation is shooting Rusl's hairline upwards with stress! He can't even _be_ with his family right now for all of the problems out here!"

Her complaints were met with conquered silence as the group felt the weight of their actions. Though Link had dwelled upon these repercussions with Midna, it certainly hadn't made it any easier to be confronted with them now.

"Hey, pretty lady! What do _you_ have to say about this?" Telma questioned, now turning her attention to the warrior. "I would've expected you to be the responsible one here! You've normally got quite the head on your shoulders."

"… I… uh, _apologise,"_ Ashei muttered awkwardly, avoiding her eyes. "I just didn't want… look, Shad's in a difficult position, so I-"

"She told us not to do it!" Ilia defended. "Nobody else wanted this to happen. Telma, it was all me. And I'm _really_ sorry if I ended up hurting you, or anyone else instead… I didn't want to make anyone worry and I can see now, that I've done it _again-"_

Feeling her composure shatter, the younger girl sniffed loudly, her eyes spilling over with tears.

"Oh, no honey. I didn't mean to upset you," Telma frowned. She swooped in and pulled the younger girl into a hug that nearly knocked her chair over. Link, Shad and Ashei looked away, feeling that this was a conversation they were no longer part of. "… I've made a mess of things, haven't I? And right now, you probably need our support more than ever. I should've spent more time listening to you and your needs. I'm so sorry, Ilia honey."

"It's not your fault, Telma. I… should've been honest with you," Ilia sniffed.

Once the fierce woman released her, Shad rose to his feet and cleared his throat, steeling himself for the repercussions of his words.

"Telma, I believe I owe you a rather large apology, as well," he said. "I understand that my word is my bond and that I tactlessly broke it when I volunteered to put Ilia through that ordeal last night. And I'll understand, wholeheartedly, if you'd like me to leave. I can take up a different job in the city somewhere, and get my apartment back… if you could but grant me a couple of days-"

"You're not going anywhere, Shad," Telma scolded, catching him off-guard. "You're far too kind, hard-working and important to this cause. And I still count you as a friend, honey. But as the caretaker of our little organisation, I can't just let this incident go un-punished."

"P-Punishment?" Shad paled.

The entire group looked startled at once, wondering what this could possibly entail.

"Yes," Telma replied, before she went to reach under the counter.

Link gasped. "… The _crowbar?"_

He'd been transported back to his first night here, staring down the intimidating figure of the proprietress as she assessed him under the kitchen lights. Though she wouldn't admit to it nowadays, she had certainly been in more than her fair share of fights. Suddenly, Telma slammed a piece of paper onto the table in front of them. Shad stifled a noise as he jumped in fright.

"Alright, everyone! Here is a list of all the outstanding cleaning jobs and maintenance issues for the bar. I'll give you all a week to get on top of it, otherwise I'll come up with something even _more_ challenging." She winked.

"All of us? Even the ones who thought it was dumb?" Ashei enquired. Nobody had dared to discipline the young warrior in years, and even when that had happened it meant running extra laps up the stairs near her house with buckets of water. She smiled, wishing that it _could've_ been endurance training, instead.

"Yes, honey. You kids need to understand that your actions affect more than just yourselves. There's a whole team of people around you. So, it's time for you to pay us back in thoughtfulness, alright?"

Link grabbed the list and nodded, firmly. "I'll get as much as I can done this afternoon! But there's still… uh, some urgent stuff for me to do."

"I'll be happy with whatever you can manage today, Link honey. There's a lot on your plate right now. Besides… I can always call you back here later. With a face like that, you'll boost my sales," Telma flirted. Ashei made a disgusted noise.

"Hey! That's unfair! The rest of us have work to do, as well."

"Please just let it _go!"_ Shad implored. "And thank you, Telma. We shall make this up to you in the fullest."

"… I'll get better at sharing my feelings, too," Ilia promised.

"That's what I like to hear."

* * *

After being asked _nicely_ by Ilia whether he'd wanted to take a shower, followed by an offer of spare clothes from Shad - who hadn't foreseen just how much strain one of his shirts might've taken around the biceps - Link began dusting along the upper shelves of the bar. All the while, he had been hoisted up easily onto Ashei's shoulders, who grabbed his legs to hold them in place. Though she weren't the most eager to start on the jobs she felt pleased to be converting them into some form of practice.

Link swallowed, anxious to be sitting on somebody who clearly valued their personal space. However, it seemed that Ashei was entirely unfazed in this circumstance. He'd found himself wondering what might have been different about it here, whether removing any sort of _vulnerability_ from the equation had made it easier on her, somehow.

"Won't be too long now until you disappear again, huh?" she asked, glancing upwards at the not-too-heavy swordsman.

"Ah, yeah…" he agreed, welcoming her reprieve from the stress of this morning.

Link knew that finding that wooden idol in the city after all this time was going to be like locating a needle in a haystack. But without it, Ilia was unable to recall the exact location of the village she'd fled from, meaning that the Messenger of the Heavens would have to wait even _longer_ to get there.

"There's something Shad and I are working on fixing. That's the real reason we went through with Ilia's plan. We sort of need it to find… that final key fragment I spoke to you about."

The warrior sneezed as some of the dust from the bottles rained down from the air. "Got the feeling you didn't just change your mind of your own volition."

"I never wanted to do that to her, Ashei. But I'm kinda glad that we did. Ilia seems happier and we got some of the information that we needed. Maybe the price wasn't worth it but feel like now, maybe we could… end the war? It's starting to feel like a real thing."

"Can't complain about that," she said nonchalantly, walking him further along the shelves. "And you'll be meeting with Shad later, yeah? Once he finally ditches this place."

"That's the plan."

Ashei gave a long and unreadable pause before she spoke again.

"… Link."

"Hmm?"

"Look after my friend while you're out there."

The swordsman lowered the feather duster for a moment to look down at the guarded woman. And she regarded him back, soberly, with eyes of the darkest amber.

"Shad's brave enough and he can mostly take care of himself. But he's also not as _defensible_ as you, or me. And he has this habit of pulling off more than he can chew. I just don't want another incident like out in the snow, when I ran off chasing that creature."

"Oh Goddesses, about all that stuff I said to you after… I'm really sorry-"

"Don't be sorry about it!" she snapped. "You were right, Link. I was reckless and I let my curiosity get the better of me. Exactly the type of mistake _he_ would make. Way back when I brought Shad that piece of the ruin, we had this weird conversation about discovering the world and… I guess I just… _ugh."_

The hero found himself smiling down at her. She shouldered his weight without so much as a strand of hair falling out of place. "Hey, it's alright to change things up, once in a while. Even if you make mistakes."

"… Yeah, yeah."

Link wished that there were something, _anything,_ he could've offered in return, to compensate for her support with Ilia. Instead, all that came to him were the following words.

"Well, you know I'd never let anything bad happen to Shad, right? I'd give whatever I had to protect him. Even if it ends up making my mission more difficult. Or I break a couple of bones. It's fine," he promised. "… I really like him, Ashei."

She squeezed his leg back in solidarity, finding herself unable to say the words but feeling the truth of them resonating into the very core of her being. They were every bit as real as the man's love of the Sky. _  
_  
_'… Me too.'_

Although Ashei had come to experience the strength that Shad, Link and Ilia had given each other on that terrible night, she also feared - on some intrinsic level - that their affections had left them all as unguarded. With the war happening around them, it seemed _more_ than foolish and impractical to involve herself further with anyone. However, before she could dwell too much on these thoughts, the warrior pressed on, eager to overcome the assignment ahead.

"Look, you don't have to get yourself killed. But don't pull Shad into anything stupid, alright? You should know, I… have faith in both of you. And by the time you get back here, I'll have something ready for that eyesore outside! You know, I can't wait to thrash whoever's responsible."

"You're not put off by the crazy amount of dark magic it took to seize the castle?" Link teased, roughing her up by squeezing his thighs.

"Not a chance," she smirked back at him.

"Or the fact that the Shadow King gave me fleas?"

But this joke was met with swift retribution, as Ashei dumped him onto the floor without warning. The few patrons in the bar stopped to raise their heads in the background, wondering what had caused their drinks to shudder so violently.

 _"Ow!_ I meant in my _other_ form, obviously!"

The swordsman nursed his elbow and looked up at the warrior with a flinching eye.

"Can't be too careful around you. You're a mysterious guy, Link," she said, flashing a dangerous smile his way. "You know, those clothes don't look half bad on you. Oh and hey, I had another idea about that statue drama from this morning. Do you happen know to those Zoras, down by the marketplace?"

* * *

Shad watched as Ilia hung up Link's tunic, which had been _strangely_ resistant to the taint of the moat, along the small clothesline extended from her window. She angled it generously beneath the sun's rays, taking the moment to scan the chimney-bricked horizon of the town.

"… Ilia, it… won't be long now until I'll be going," he said, fidgeting, after allowing her the minute of peace. His eyes wandered about the room as he spoke, settling onto the mirror dresser which now sat uncovered near the bed.

"Oh, I know. You'll be in Kakariko Village like you said before, right?"

The bright girl turned away from the window and smiled at him, noticing the scholar's rather downtrodden expression at the news. "I'll be just fine here, Shad. It'll be back to business as usual for me, after today. Hopefully with the gift of proper sleep."

He laughed as he brought a hand to his face, unable to stop himself from uttering the following confession. "Well, _I_ am… sort of dreading it, to be honest. It's been quite some time since I left for an extended period. "

"You'll do great out there, I think. You're adaptable, brave."

The scholar had rehearsed this conversation earlier today, wondering how he could _ever_ convey the responsibility that he'd felt for Ilia's wellbeing. And after everything that had happened last night it seemed that now might've been the very _worst_ time to leave. However, the conceitedness this train of thought had soon grown apparent to him. Any of the coddling words he might've used were soon burned away. Instead, he asked, "As brave as you?"

Ilia blinked in response to the question, finding it unusual for the scholar to be so blunt.

"Ah, do forgive me once again." Shad smiled. "I've been meaning to tell you how… impressed I have been by your courage all these months, Ilia. You are truly an exceptional person. As much as it might be wrong for me to admit, I am so thankful that we had the chance to meet."

"Shad."

"If the circumstances had been better-"

"Thank _you_ for everything, Shad," she said, lifting her hand to touch his shoulder.

The scholar felt the world around him go still as Ilia squeezed onto him gently, holding his gaze with an assurance that had only strengthened over recent days. "You're one of the best people I've ever met… and, even better, you're just as kind, and willing to fight for others. I know how important your discovery of the Skies is. My only regret now is how much time I must've taken away from your dream. So… for all of us, you should get out there and finish the job," she beamed.

Unable to help himself, Shad pulled the Ordonian girl into another warm embrace, one that carried all the familiarity of the struggles they'd faced together. He _hoped_ that there would be nothing more to fear now, though the road to recovery would forever be fraught with challenges. But all that mattered in this moment was his confidence in her ability to heal. She needed to _know_ how much he trusted her to do that.

After so, everything that had happened…

It was time for him to take a step back.

"Maybe you'll get the college you always wanted once this is all over?" she amusedly against the flat of his chest, recalling one of the earlier conversations they'd had.

"Ah, I'm afraid I'm still a long ways to go in that regard." The scholar smiled, wistful. "But I will treasure your support. As always, my dear."

* * *

The twilight sun faded away not long before Link burst into the study once again - back in his regular clothing, his blue eyes wild with purpose. Evidently he was no longer afraid of tearing Shad away from his work in order to seek help. Though, this hadn't lessened the scholar's astonishment at this development. He had no idea how it had happened but he'd started to see the people around him as something… more.

"I found it," Link said. The corner of his mouth hardened into a frown.

"You found the statue? _And_ cleaned out the bar, in a single afternoon?" The scholar nearly fell out of his reading chair upon hearing the news.

"Uh, yes! Sort of. It got washed into one of the connecting channels, picked up by a Zora and then pawned off at the curiosity shop… but now it's in the hands of uh, someone _else."  
_  
"I gather that this isn't such positive news, from the look on your face."

The hero sat down hesitantly, all but confirming the scholar's suspicions. "On my first night here, when the bar was closed… I ran into this really _old doctor_. He was super rude and stormed out instead of helping Prince Ralis. After that, I escorted Telma and Ilia to Kakariko. Everyone talks about how dangerous it was but I never would've done it if he'd been able to receive treatment here! … Anyway, _he's_ got the statue!"

Shad's eyes locked onto Link's in a second, struck with the same impassioned anger.

"The very same?"

He then _snapped_ the book in his grasp shut.

"Old boy, I must tell you about his shocking ineptitude when we enlisted his help on the very morning Ilia arrived. He dismissed her case entirely! Said that there was nothing he could do and stormed out, without a second thought for her wellbeing."

Link broke his connection from the scholar as he glared at the desk, racking his brain for some semblance of reason. "Wow. No offence, Shad but some of the people who live around here are… kind of _terrible?_ I really lucked out in Ordon Village."

"I believe you are preaching to the choir." The scholar sighed, shaking his head despondently. "Ah, but yes! You believe that this very doctor has custody of the idol Ilia brought with her?"

"I… followed the trail across town. It's definitely there."

A brief pause followed before the swordsman pitched his idea, hoping that his friend might have a better one up his folded sleeves. "So, I was thinking, I was gonna go around tonight and ask for it back. Offer him rupees or whatever. But I think it'd go a lot better if you came with me, Shad. You're good at talking to people."

Shad blushed a little at the compliment, trying not to think of all the times he might've faltered in manner around the younger man. "… I-I am flattered that you think so. However, I may prove myself to be useless if an argument arises. Certainly this isn't a physical adversary but I do wonder if perhaps a little bit of… _intimidation_ might come in handy? Considering who we are dealing with."

The two men looked to each other again, without a moment's pause, as they arrived at the same conclusion. "Ashei," they said at once, before getting up to scope out the bar.

* * *

"You filthy thugs can't intimidate me!" the doctor barked at the unscrupulous trio over his doorstep.

After collecting the warrior, the group had followed one of the streets adjacent to the southern shopping strip, leading them over to the other side of town. The buildings out here were visibly older, and made more so of wood than brick.

It hadn't taken long for Shad's attempts to be civil with the old man to go downhill. And much to everyone's surprise, he'd turned down their money just as quickly, as though he revelled in the idea of holding something that they wanted out of reach.

"Who are YOU calling thugs, you _fraud?!"_ Ashei snarled, standing over him. She made sure to raise her voice so that everyone on the street could hear them. "You'd better give our friend her property back if you wanna keep that door on its hinges! It wasn't anyone else's to sell. Oh, and it's the _least_ you could do after turning your back on her when she lost her memory."

"Losing her memory? You don't mean?" The old man adjusted his glasses, honing his insect-like eyes on Shad. "I thought you seemed familiar! You! The man who dresses and perfumes himself like a lady, of all things!"

"I beg your _pardon?!"_

Ashei held the scholar back with a lazily extended arm. He blushed an angry shade of pink under the eyes.

"Bah! I'll make you an offer, then!" the doctor grumbled, looking to Link, cutting to the chase of his priorities. "I might be willing to part with the statue if you'd send that pretty girl over for a nice chat. None of you are to bother us, either! She might've lost her memory but at least she isn't out here pretending to be a _man."_

The warrior could've burst one of the veins in her forehead in rage as Link then moved in to restrain her.

"This isn't doing you any favours, young lady. Don't you know that women are only half as strong?" he chastised, moving his glasses around once more.

"Uh, I'm afraid that deal won't be happening. Sorry." The swordsman apologised, before dragging the furious woman away to a side-alley. She thrashed around violently in his grip, hissing at him to let her go, along with a variety of swear words he hadn't heard before. If Link weren't accustomed to wrangling Ordon's goats around he might have needed the iron boots to keep her grounded.

 _"I won't - kill him - Link - just let me go…_ _AGH!"_

"You, sir, make a mockery of the medical profession! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" Shad rounded on the doctor, who barely looked up to engage him despite being the only person left on his doorstep. "And you may say whatever you like about me, and my choice of presentation, but you _will not_ _insult my friend, or_ _her capabilities!_ She is a far better human than you could ever hope to be-"

The door slammed shut in the scholar's face with an audible _'hmph!'_ sound coming from the other side.

"Wow, I'm really sorry about that Ashei. What a jerk," Link mumbled, looking momentarily stunned.

"… Eh, it happens." She deflated in his grasp, rolling her eyes as she slipped away. "People always judge me for my profession. What's new? I'm just glad Ilia won't have to deal with that creep."

When Shad reconvened with the pair they noticed that he was still incredibly flustered, with his auburn hair standing on-end like a cat and his sleeves rolled up further in anticipation of the conflict worsening. _"That complete and utter b-"_

He stopped short, noticing that the other two were watching him closely.

"Are you gonna say it?" Ashei smirked.

"Hey, I use that word all the time. Mostly when there's no one around, though," Link winked.

"… I'm _quite sure_ you both get the gist!" the scholar rebuffed, now folding his arms in protest.

After a brief pause, Link gave a deep sigh, now faced with the dilemma of having to think on his feet for a new plan. "Well, damn it. That didn't go so well. And it's not anyone's fault, he's just an unreasonable person."

The group lingered in the silence of the dingy alley, combing their minds in unison for a method to recover the statue, which could've sat mere metres from them through the wall. As frustrating as this situation was, it might've been easier for them to simply send in a patient who could grab it when the doctor wasn't looking. But then, Link's thoughts were interrupted when something large and white brushed against his leg and meowed in the dark.

"Louise?"

"Good gracious! What is she doing all the way out here?" Shad gasped.

She meowed once more at Link, rather _insistently,_ hinting that they needed to talk… if only he could do so in private. He looked to Ashei, who seemed to be glancing between him and the cat, wondering pre-emptively what he were about to ask.

"Hey, do you… maybe need a minute alone? To sniff things out?"

Link could've laughed with relief at having the warrior on board with his secret.

"Alone? No offense, old boy, but what could Link possibly do to help this situation that we couldn't better solve together?" the scholar questioned, baffled by the new development. _  
_  
"Actually, Shad… I'm, uh-"

 _"For Nayru's sake,_ Shad. I'm trying to give him some privacy! He's still stressed out of his mind after the whole Ilia thing, can't you see that?"

Though Shad was taken by surprise at first, his expression softened. He scrambled madly for an explanation as to _why_ he hadn't noticed such a thing. "O-Of course, you must be. I'm terribly sorry, Link. I must have gotten too wrapped up in the moment."

"It's fine! Really." He smiled nervously, earning himself a warning glare off the warrior to act _more_ distraught at the state of events. "But, um, Ashei's right. I just need a bit of a break. I'll find you both again, if you just wanna wait around there?"

Link gestured further down the road, where the footpath bent away into a faraway corner street.

"Take all the time that you need, Link. We'll be waiting for you," Shad promised, as the two Resistance members parted ways from the hero and his new cat companion.

The torches of the new neighbourhood illuminated it far better than those in the secluded one they'd left behind. It was here that the scholar could breathe a sigh of relief, whipping out one of his notebooks under the light, and doing his best to put his anger over the previous situation behind him. His hands shook with resentment as he turned the page, catching the eye of the warrior whose fury was soon converted into amusement.

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

Shad regarded Ashei properly over the paper, his brow furrowed and round glasses reflective of the night. It hadn't escaped his notice that her dark hair looked brilliant under the flames.

"That doctor, he really was the worst, huh? But I don't think I've ever seen you get _that_ mad. Thanks for telling him off for me… yeah?"

"Oh heavens, don't remind me!" he laughed, with more than a note of exasperation. "If he'd been a younger man and I were willing to lower myself to his level, I might've engaged him in a round of fisticuffs."

The warrior soon found herself laughing as well, if only at the absurdity of the image. "You. Actually fighting someone for real? I'd pay to see that."

"It is not _so_ out of the realm of possibilities," Shad defended, holding back an eye-roll. "Just because I don't happen to be an artist in the way of violence."

"Hmm? Well, how'd you feel about giving it a shot now?" Ashei offered with a daring smirk.

"You… I-I'm sorry, you want me to fight you?"

"Not seriously, there'd be nothing left of you." She laughed at him, brutally. "I mean throw a couple of punches at me, blow off some steam. Why not? It'll make you feel better. You obviously can't concentrate right now."

"… Ah… haha."

To Shad's great surprise, Ashei held out both of her hands and adjusted her stance, ready to catch his fists. "Come on. Pretend it's the doctor. He doesn't care about abandoning patients or hoarding valuables that don't belong to him. Talking to him won't help and he's got a _thing_ for Ilia. He's asking for it."

"W-Well, I…" The scholar tucked the notebook away and curled his hands into fists. He'd looked down at them, unsurely, before meeting his friend's gaze once again, feeling some type of heightened expectation from the accomplished woman. "Are you quite certain? Goddesses, hitting a woman is a whole other, well…"

The glare he received nearly sent him flinching backwards.

"It wouldn't be very… uh… sporting of me."

"I'm in a good mood at moment, Shad. So I'm gonna ignore that comment," the warrior said with a smile that chilled him down to his bones. "But you'd better do it now then, on three. Right?"

"Uh, r-right… one, two…!"

He struck forward on the third count, instantly caught in the metal of her gauntlets. After taking a second for the hit to register, the scholar recoiled backwards and then shielded the knuckles of his attacking hand, which rang out loudly in pain. _"Ow!"  
_  
"Oh, wow. You've never punched anybody before, have you?" Ashei said, with all the pity she could muster.

"That was _not_ a lesson in my curriculum, no!" __

"Well, we'll have to remedy that, won't we? It's the enemy that should fear your fist, not the other way around."

Shad hissed quietly through his teeth, shaking his hand through the numbing sensation. "Dear Farore, when does the throbbing stop?" He groaned. "Oh - _my_ \- it seems to finally be hurting less!"

The warrior regarded him with a thoughtful gaze. She tossed up the probability of them having to wait around for some time. There was no sign of Link down the other end of the street and the fact that Shad was about to go out into the world without a proper strike to his name had made her _very_ anxious. She took a deep breath and moved to his side, holding her hand out to take his own.

"Here. Your fingers are all wrong, you've gotta do it this way… mind your thumb," she instructed, carefully repositioning his fingers. Shad gave his full attention as she did so, noticing how gentle Ashei could be when she wanted. He'd felt a little of that familiar light-headedness again, though this time, without the fear of being completely obliterated against the tavern wall.

"And then, to _really_ hit it home, you can use your body to drive the punch in. You just have to step forward, like this." At this point Ashei had stepped behind him and was shadowing his form. She pushed him forward, guiding his arm to strike ahead, before she pulled him back into a starting position. Where he stood, stilted, she was fluid. "If you can remember that, you're good to go."

"Y-Yes, I see."

"Let's try it again now. You have to do better this time or I'll be disappointed, yeah?"

In the midst of their fighting lesson, Link appeared stealthily from around the corner, now holding the Sheikah statue in his hands instead of his mouth. He'd hoped that it hadn't been _too_ damaged by his fangs, or that he wouldn't be pulling any splinters out of his mouth later.

"Um… hello?" he enquired, watching the two acting strangely.

Shad was too focused on hitting Ashei's hands to realise what was going on, moving skilfully as he did so, while she seemed to be laughing and shouting at him in encouragement.

"This - is actually - rather - fun?" he said breathlessly, holding a smile in spite of himself.

"YES - _hmf_ \- again! Punch me like you mean it, Shad!"

"H-Hello _?_ … Guys?!" Link finally decided to intervene, blinking with surprise as he did so. "Hey! We need to keep it down! I got it - the thing we're after - and, uh, _we need to get out of here."_

Shouting erupted from the window of a house some distance away, which the swordsman knew to be a very bad sign. Telma's cat had all but vanished into smoke, escaping the scene of the crime even more efficiently than he could've hoped.

"Oh, apologies, Link." The scholar frowned. "I'd almost forgotten what we were doing!"

"Let's just get back to the bar, quickly. And… m-maybe you can continue this later?"

"Nah. I'm done with lessons for now," Ashei shrugged.

"… A shame, really. I think you make a wonderful teacher," the scholar offered with glowing appraisal.

The warrior brushed lightly against arm in response, feeling relieved more than anything that things seemed to be back to normal. Link had walked hurriedly ahead of the two with a bewildered look on his face. Seeing them behave in such a manner was interesting, to say the least… and he'd wondered whether his mind had been playing tricks on him when he reconsidered Ashei's words to him, before.

"You'll have to tell us how you managed to pull that one off, old boy. Last time I checked, you were a law-abiding citizen," Shad teased him playfully, over his shoulder.

* * *

In a miraculous stroke of luck, the Resistance had been able to map out Ilia's journey from the hidden village once she held the Sheikah statue in her hands, recalling the rest of her memories with Telma's unconditional support. Once the hero had given his word that he'd do everything in his power to rescue Impaz, he departed one final time from their rowdy headquarters, hoping that by the time he returned, the Mirror of Twilight would be complete.

And they would all be one step closer to going _home._

Link clutched at the grass-whistle necklace hidden under the folds of his tunic as he thundered across the northern plains, a parting gift from his best friend to be shared with Epona. On the following morning - with his own bags packed and his research at a crushing standstill - it was finally Shad's turn to leave.

"Wait for me…" he recalled Link saying, as he loaded his belongings into the back of a carriage.

The swordsman seemed optimistic that he'd be able to restore the Dominion Rod, though it were truly a gamble based on their lack of leads.

Shad turned to face the strange cadre that had called themselves the Resistance. Based on appearances alone, they would've seemed to have nothing at all in common, but they'd been more of a family to him than any words could capture.

He nodded politely to Rusl and Auru, who returned the favour with their own sense of pride in the scholar. Unlike them, he'd rarely ventured beyond the city - and with his thesis coming to fruition, it was an exciting change indeed. Next, the scholar said goodbye to Telma, who'd hugged him so hard that his feet no longer touched the ground.

"Take care of yourself out there, honey. Bring back some drinking stories for us, won't you?"

"Hopefully nothing _too_ scandalous. Oh, and please do enjoy the polished floors," the scholar chuckled into her shoulder, before she lowered him back down.

It was Ashei's turn next, whose expression had hardened to match the look in her eyes. "Remind Link, if he doesn't keep you safe, _I'll kill-"_ She paused before finishing the sentence, remembering that Ilia was right next to her. "… I'll punch him. Really hard into the wall."

She held out her arm, going in for a handshake, which seemed far too stilted and _formal_ coming from her, before Shad had brushed it away with a smile. He moved in close and then pulled Ashei into a proper hug, one that caught her by surprise. She made a soft sound at first, one that was almost like a gasp. But eventually, she relaxed and patted him on the shoulder.

"I know you are worried but it's going to be fine," Shad assured her, feeling the cold imprint of her armour against his body as he stepped back. "You taught me to be strong, Ashei. And there isn't a thing out there that can stand between me and my research."

"… That's good. Make these idiots in town eat their own words."

Finally, the scholar stepped forward to meet Ilia's eyes. Of all the people he'd be leaving behind in the city, he'd known that this would be the hardest goodbye. Yet, nothing could've prepared him for what it felt like, now. His chest grew heavy upon the realisation that it might be some time until they saw each other again. Everything might be different. _He_ might be different.

"Shad, it's gonna be okay," Ilia said, addressing the worried look on his face. "I… I need you to know that I can manage without you here. And when you finally come back to us, I'll be more like my old self again. You'll see."

"Of course." He squeezed her hand, quietly.

"Don't let Link do anything stupid, either. I know what he's like and he'd get run over by a horse if it meant keeping you out of danger." She laughed, wiping the tears out of her eyes.

Shad wrapped his arms around Ilia in goodbye, exuding all of the fervour he could manage over the passion of his studies. "We'll look after each other. You have my word."

* * *

 **AN:** This was such a big, crazy chapter and _I'm sorry_ \- BUT it's also the last time everybody's gonna be in town together until we tackle the castle! So of course, the final side-quest involves... stealing things? Sorry, Telma.

Also, Link and Shad have finally skipped town! I wonder how things will go when they meet again.


	19. The Magician

**AN:** One step closer to the City in the Sky!

Thank you all again, it can't have been easy to follow such a loose plot for so long... but the final battle is coming (like winter) and it has a surprise character, so I look forward to writing that in a couple of chapters. xD

* * *

 **Chapter 19 - The Magician**

"Hello? Mister Shad…?" called a voice, somewhere up from the ceiling.

The scholar really hadn't been paying attention to how much time had passed in the outside world but it was safe to assume that he'd been underground for a while and that he was probably overdue for some fresh air. Or so he'd told himself, some hours ago.

"It's me, again. Just thought I'd let you know that dinner's ready, if you ever feel like coming out of there."

For Shad, entering the ancient labyrinth running beneath Kakariko had been like climbing down into a whole other realm, a muted domain that was blanketed in earthy red, illuminated only by dwindling flame. It was eerily quiet and there were very little in the way of sound but for the occasional dripping from the cavern walls.

He'd eagerly ferreted his way through each of the paths, which were in the habit of breaking off into strange corners, and spent many an afternoon sketching the odd characters that ran along the doorframes. They were extremely old and very much unlike the rest of the columns holding up the entirety of the structure.

With his progress now halted in its tracks, Shad's evening had consisted of standing down against a single, stubborn owl statue that barred the door behind it with unshakable strength. It so _obviously_ deviated in design from the other deities he'd come across in his travels - including the one not too far out of town in the Kakariko Gorge - that its mystery had since been taken on as a personal challenge.

"… Cut from the same stone…" the scholar murmured, inspecting the crevasses around the eyes. He leaned in closer to the guardian's face as it taunted him, silently, with its secrets.

"Mister Shad? Are you alive, down there?"

He reached out to touch it once again and was mildly startled by the tiny _zap_ it emitted _,_ bouncing off his fingers. "Static in the air…"

"Hey."

A small hand gripped onto the shoulder of his coat. And the scholar inhaled, suddenly, with fright. He crashed onto the ground with a reverberating shout, as his notes scattered about the floor.

"It's not healthy for you to be down here for so long," Colin frowned, looking over Shad with a concern that could've matched Ilia's. "Come on, we're having Goron spice curry and rice. You should come back after you've had a break."

"Good _gracious,_ Colin. You gave me quite the start there, scamp."

"… What's that word? I've never heard it, before."

The scholar promptly collected the missing pages and then rose to his feet, dusting the red from his knees as he did so. "Nothing offensive, I assure you." He flashed an awkward smile. "I suppose it must be getting rather late, yes?"

"Well, it's past sundown and you've been here since this morning."

With a sigh, Shad made his way over to the ladder, letting the younger boy lead them up into the Sanctuary. In the most uncanny manner Colin had reminded him of a much younger version of Link and he might've guessed that this were, in fact, his little brother if he hadn't known any differently.

It also didn't help that Colin just a _little_ too quiet to be reminiscent of Rusl - prompting Shad to wonder at Uli's personality - though his likeness to his father was readily apparent in the sharpness of his mind and the bold manner in which he'd climbed into the darkness to check on the eccentric scholar.

"You're a good lad to be worried about me… though, I'd recommend _not_ going down my career path if you treasure your sanity," Shad offered, with some self-depreciating humour.

"I'm not really into swords and stuff, though." Colin sighed. "I'd be happy to learn if it meant keeping everyone safe. But there must also be other ways of helping people, without violence."

"Certainly, there are! You could study to become a doctor, if you so desired. A _decent_ one that places people first," Shad had said, without thinking. He then wondered at Rusl might have to say about this career path and promptly sealed his mouth shut. It was no secret that the Ordonian swordsman had an eye for young talent and had been trying to recruit Link over a matter of years.

"I'd never thought of that before!" Colin wondered. "Renado's a doctor too, in a weird way… and he's Luda's father. Maybe I could learn from _them?_ And I could come back here after the war's over!"

"Uh… _p-perhaps…_ though, I imagine there are plenty of _other_ professions out there… that are in need of a capable mind," the scholar fumbled, in a panic.

After climbing their way up into the heart of the Sanctuary, Colin and Shad were greeted to the warm glow of a fire from outside. Around it were gathered the rest of the children from Ordon, along with Renado, Barnes and a small crew of Gorons. Much of the diverse group were laughing and talking in a manner that caused their voices to bounce off the walls of the gorge.

"Thanks for the talk, Mister Shad! You're the best." The blonde boy beamed up at him, before dashing outside to join the dark-haired girl around his age.

After taking a second to hang back, Shad coughed a little upon the sharpness of the mountain air, wiping the dust from his glasses. "… I wonder." Nervously, he began to scam the group for any sign of Link, hoping that this might've been the _real_ reason he was summoned from the ruins. But alas. Nothing. _  
_  
A giddy feeling had since leapt into his throat, after searching for the handsome swordsman. Though, it soon dissipated into pinpricks of embarrassment that rained mercilessly over his face. Surely, it wasn't the end of the world that Link hadn't arrived yet, so then _why_ was he left feeling so disappointed? Although, Shad suddenly remembered, this was probably the longest he'd gone without the company of his inner-circle, or a cup of coffee for that matter. And that in these circumstances, it would've been perfectly natural for _any person_ to feel lonely.

"Welcome, Shad," Renado called to him over the flames, once the scholar finally opened the door. "It is good of you to join us, this evening."

"Ah… y-yes, quite. It was getting rather tedious down there, so I decided to liven things up."

Looking around at the mismatched faces of the town, many of which he'd known to be far too young to have ever been displaced from their home, Shad had then gotten the uncanny feeling that Ilia might've been here instead, taken under Renado's wing instead of Telma's. She would've huddled around the fire near where Colin and Luda sat now, and grasped at the _strangeness_ of this scholar who'd come to visit the ruins, with those verdant eyes that had most resembled a thicket.

 _'Oh Ilia… I hope that Telma and Ashei are keeping you well.'_

It seemed that her and Link were rather like ghosts in this lonely valley.

Eventually, Shad forced himself into a conversation with Renado about the restoration efforts for Kakariko in order to distract himself for the rest of the evening. For, if he weren't busy thinking about the people around him, he would be faced with the impossibility of the path to the Sky. The stars had begun to shine through the curtain of periwinkle blue that stretched beyond their very atmosphere, pulling Shad's restless attention away from the shaman once again.

 _'Blast these stubborn ruins…'_

He cursed, quietly. _  
_

* * *

A couple more days passed, in which Shad had grown _increasingly_ irritable with the state of his research. Consulting his notes had brought him around into circles, and despite the fact that he was now a fluent reader of the Sky Writing, it seemed that without the power to command the owl deities, they would remain forever dormant. Even if the air around them hummed with an energy that made them seem very much _alive._

After sketching all that the labyrinth had to offer and poring over the curious layout of the cavern, the scholar spent the rest of the afternoon pacing along the lagoon near the town entrance. The heat from the earth had caused the water's edge to rise with steam, blowing away quickly as it formed in the gentle breeze.

Shad found himself wondering what might've possibly been holding Link up - _not that he was dying to see his friend_ \- though the selfishness of these thoughts hadn't been lost on him.

Working in this desolate town had reminded him daily of how much had been lost in the wave of attacks beyond the city gates. He realised, soberly, that it had been nothing short of a privilege to be able to write away in an attic, with only a magic barrier as a reminder of what was at stake. Being stuck in a rut was perhaps the least of anyone's worries in this place. However, all of this restlessness had raised another, more worrying question, of what would be waiting for him at the end of his research.

Or, better yet, _who_ would still be in town a year from now?

 _'Everybody will finally be able to return home. Ilia and Rusl shall be reunited with their families, Auru may assist the Royal Family once again, and Link and Ashei will most likely find work beyond the town walls… they might even work together… but…'_

He watched the glistening waters as they shone with notes of turquoise and warm blue, contrasting against the rusted earth of the town.

 _'Is that not what we're fighting for?'  
_  
It would be nightfall soon, and the scholar dreaded another one of the fitful naps that had plagued him with thoughts of being back home - where he'd imagined seeing Ilia over the bar in the heat of the evening rush; or arguing with Ashei in the street, only for her to smile and make it all up to him later. Perhaps the most cruel part of this ordeal was the lack of alcohol in this place, which might've smoothed over the added frustration of being isolated.

When Shad finally returned to his quarters to retire for the night - in the upper levels of an eerie, boarded house, surrounded by a scattered collection of candles, lanterns and books - he could've cried with joy upon the discovery of a stainless metal flask, which had been tucked into his smallclothes… _of all places._

He blushed a painful shade of red as he unfolded the note that accompanied it, which had said:

 **Hang in there honey and enjoy this one on the house.**

 **\- T, I & A.**

Beneath it, was a hastily written:  
 _  
_ **PS: Bring back my flask, you booze hound.** _  
_  
"Oh, Ashei…" Shad sighed, feeling weirdly nostalgic for the venom dripping through the pages.

He tucked the amusing gift into his coat and moved away from the dark corner that contained the rest of his luggage, before climbing out onto the awning that extended from one of the nearby windows. The scholar took a swig of something awful and then laid back to stare at the evening sky, basking in the conversations that drifted from the street below him.

Old habits die hard, he thought, as he pressed the flask to his lips.

* * *

'What are you _doing,_ Link?' Midna questioned from the dark. His fingers were now a hairsbreadth away from Shad. 'You'll scare the life out of him at this hour!'

"I have to wake him, Midna! It's his life's work and I know he'd want me to," the swordsman whispered excitedly, though felt incredibly nervous to be doing so.

The sun was mere hours away from rising over the valley when Link finally pulled into town, leaving Epona by the hot springs before he wandered into the Sanctuary. Surprisingly, Renado were awake at this hour - prompting him to wonder whether the older man _ever_ slept - and had soon advised him that the scholar weren't spending this particular night underground.

The swordsman stepped carefully around the sleeping children on his way out and proceeded to search the remaining houses for his friend, quietly wondering how much easier it would've been to pick up his light cologne in wolf form. When he finally found Shad asleep in the highest corner of one of the buildings, next to a low-burning lantern and a curiously familiar empty flask, he'd paused and then held his breath.

'Look, I hate wasting time more than anyone but you can afford to wait a couple of hours. If you give this guy a heart attack, then there goes our _only_ chance of translating the book. And then we'll really be in trouble.'

Link frowned as he withdrew his hand, only now beginning to feel the tiredness in his eyes. "… Alright then. But I'm not leaving here until we get to talk, it's way too important."

'You just want to watch him sleep again,' the imp teased.

The swordsman didn't even argue with her as he posted himself nearby, propped against the wall, and looking a little awe-struck, allowed his eyes to flicker over the scholar. The whispers from their conversation must've stirred him, as Shad then rolled over and began to mumble in his sleep.

"… Link…" he mumbled loftily into the pillow.

'Oho. And it looks like _he_ enjoys dreaming about you. Still as popular as ever, Link.'

 _"Stop it."  
_  
The scholar continued listlessly on, mentioning something about Ilia and potions, before rolling over and falling silent once again.

"See? Nothing weird's going on. Not that there'd be anything _wrong_ with… Shad thinking about me… if that ever happened."

'Hey, hey. I don't judge. Gender doesn't diminish… usefulness.' Midna grinned at him wickedly through the gloom. 'And some of you little Hylians can be quite interesting. If only most of them weren't so ignorant of what was going on, around them.'

"Little?" the hero sassed her, raising an eyebrow. "This, coming from one of the smallest people I know?"

'… I had another form, once. And I was every bit as poised and beautiful as your Princess Zelda. In fact, I doubt _you_ could've handled it.'

There was a name he hadn't heard in a while. And although Midna had barely spoken of what happened to her, Link decided that he were more than happy to go along with it, if only to break some of the ice surrounding the topic. "You think Princess Zelda is beautiful?" He smirked.

'I didn't mean it like that! _Everyone_ thinks she's beautiful!' Midna back-tracked, finding herself on the defence.

"Sure. Not that I'm judging, I don't do that."

'Watch yourself, handsome. If you continue down this path, I just might steal one of your friends out of spite.'

"Oh _really._ Are any of them even your type?"

'Who'd make you the most angry?' She giggled.

Link smiled and batted at his shadow, earning himself another playful laugh from the sardonic imp. Moments of levity between them were rare, though _quietly_ welcomed from either side, and their relationship had progressed in recent weeks to one where the hero had very nearly disassembled her wall of apathy. In turn, she reconciled to look out for the naive kid she'd be putting into the firing line of Zant.

If only they could make it to the Sky.

With the assignment now thoroughly buried in the back of his mind, the hero then closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall supporting him. He drifted into a deep sleep, only inches away from the fidgety scholar.

* * *

'Link.'

Shad couldn't believe his eyes when he woke up.

'It's Link.'

At first it seemed as unrealistic as it was blurry, until he slipped his glasses on to confirm the wonderful news before him, fast asleep, against the wall.

 _'It's really Link,'_ he reiterated, now in a mild state of panic. All this time, nearly pulling his hair out in frustration at the ruins, and the man he'd been waiting for was finally here! But without the Dominion Rod, what did he have to show for it?

The cold morning air had been stirred up by a light breeze that came in through the rusted roof slats, carrying the cries of the village's Cuccoos along with it.

"Dear Goddesses."

Shad was suddenly conscious of the slim distance between them in the dusty corner of this old building, wondering how he could've possibly slept for so long whilst being totally _oblivious_ to the young swordsman's presence. His violet eyes had settled onto the tiny mess of items scattered along the side of his bedroll, before extrapolating whether the alcohol were indeed to blame for this embarrassing oversight.

And although the scholar suspected that he must've had some rather compelling news in order to wait by his side for so long, Shad paused as he considered the counter-arguments for waking Link. Firstly, he could've done with a wash and a quick shave. Secondly, he had no idea what time Link must've arrived, and wondered whether allowing him the morning to rest would actually be doing him a favour. And thirdly, though it seemed a little underhanded, he rather enjoyed the smooth beauty of Link's face as he slept, taking in shallow breaths but remaining still as ever, as though he were cut from ice.

'Oh, what are you even _doing?_ '

Rays of the morning sun had also filtered down from the gaps in the roof and played upon the gold in his hair, causing him to shine the most brilliant colours.

'Could you imagine the scandal if you'd stayed in _Ilia's_ room to watch her sleep like this? It's… not very becoming at all.' He thought a while longer, hit with a burning shame that stripped him all the way to his bones. Shad knew then that he'd lost the argument for delaying the inevitable.

"Link," he said gently, after sitting up to shake the younger man.

"Mhmm…"

"Old boy, it's me."

Eventually, the swordsman's eyes fluttered open, catching some of the light which had turned them into a radiant sky blue. _"Whoa…!_ What time is it? I didn't mean to be out for so long."

"N-Nothing to worry about, really. I just woke up, myself." The scholar smiled up at him, looking positively dishevelled. As always, his gaze was soft, and had completely captured Link's attention from his unruly hair or crumpled up shirt.

"… Shad, I have something for you. It's really important and it just couldn't wait, so I stayed here... uh, sorry." The swordsman hadn't bothered to put any further space between them as he reached into his tunic and pulled out an old, leather-bound tome. Shad blinked excitedly as he'd accepted it with both hands, after propping himself into a more comfortable position."It's from Impaz, the old lady who helped Ilia after she escaped the monsters."

Holding his breath, the scholar unclipped the cover and then opened the book to the first page. Before flicking excitedly to the next page. And then, another. "This _entire_ book is in Sky Writing." He gasped.

"Oh… is that bad? There's no pressure if you need more time to translate it properly-"

"No, no, no! You misunderstand! I can _read it_ just fine. It is just that… this is… I'm feeling rather _overwhelmed."_

Link looked confused for a moment, struggling to understand where the eccentric man was coming from. "But not in a bad way?"

"HEAVENS, NO! … I-I didn't mean to shout at you, Link. Please excuse me if I am being rude, I fear that I might be ruining the moment here… but the truth is, that I'm completely awe-struck."

Shad cleared his throat before he spoke again, trying to steady his hands from shaking. "This book is something else, _entirely._ And I have to wonder how it came to be in the possession of the descendants of the Sheikah, as inseparable as they were to the Royal Family, rather than being enshrined in the Royal Archives. Perhaps they intended it to be kept separate? In anticipation of something like this conflict ever happening."

"Well, she said it was for the Messenger of the Heavens," Link clarified. Seeing Shad wound up like this had reminded him of the night he donated the collection of ancient letters he'd collected from the deepest corners of Hyrule. As much as his mania mode had seemed to unsettle Ashei, he couldn't help but find it entertaining.

"There's also some kind of prophecy involved. I don't know too much about that, but it's yours now, seeing as you'll probably look after it better than I could."

"Link, I have no right to simply OWN such a thing! I could not keep this knowledge from the world!" Shad declared, flabbergasted. "That is, after I've studied it extensively and made my own transcript… though, perhaps I could present it back to the Royal Family? As an apology for my father's overdue loan of that one, particular book? Yes. _Yes, this will do, nicely indeed."_

Though Link had no idea what he was talking about, would have gladly trusted Shad with anything. Even if he used that sinister tone of voice when talking about his studies. Perhaps that was why the warrior was so eager to get away whenever the scholar exhibited his over-excited traits.

"So! We are to work on this today then, yes?" Shad beamed at him, excitedly.

"Y-Yeah! Ahaha. I'm glad to see you so happy about it. I mean, I sort of feel bad for making you do all the reading. You've done pretty much all of the work in this field of study."

 _"Nonsense!_ This is what I live for. Shall we set off, then? I can give you a quick tour of the ruins, of course! And if you should bring the Dominion Rod with you, we can run our own variety of experiments - ACK!"

The scholar had risen quickly out of the bed and tripped over the leg of his nightclothes, catching himself one of the tables where the rest of his tomes were artfully stacked.

"I love the enthusiasm there, but… you can slow down a bit." Link grinned at him, holding back a laugh. "Take your time. Get changed. I'll get out of your way, um, _obviously."_ He suddenly remembered the night he removed his shirt without warning in front of the city man and how the reaction alone might've sent him to an early grave.

Shad was already pulling his day-attire out of a nearby travel case with violent haste, before he spoke again. "Oh, you needn't bother."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"There's a lone spring at the very top of this side of the cliff. It's rather beautiful and I like to get ready there, in the mornings."

"Ah… right." Link swallowed, fighting the colour on his face.

Shad shot a wayward smile over his shoulder, only just catching the younger man's reaction. "Though I may show you around up there, later. Since you asked."

* * *

After sharing a quick breakfast together - during which Link had _wolfed_ everything down, completely ravenous - they made their way back towards the Sanctuary. The scholar carried a newfound energy with him that hadn't seemed possible yesterday, and he anticipated the most exciting reveal of his career, with the mysterious book in tow. However, before either of them could even lay a hand upon the door to the building, a cacophony of young voices rang out from across the road.

 _"Hey! Link's back!"  
_  
"Uh oh…" The swordsman smirked. He then caught one of the three kids with a single arm as they crashed into his side.

"I've been practicing my sword fighting while you were away! Wanna see?"

"Did you kill anything worth talking about?"

"Have you visited Prince Ralis since he went home? What was he like?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… slow down, _one_ at a time," Link laughed. He looked back up at Shad, who observed the scene before him with some amusement.

"How's Ilia?" Talo nearly shouted at him in excitement. "We haven't seen her since she brought that Zora kid! Is she alright?"

"Maybe you should ask _Shad,_ buddy _._ He's been looking after her." He shot a wink the scholar's way, which caused him to laugh nervously and run a hand through his hair.

"Whoa, hang on a second. Is that… her boyfriend?" Beth squeaked.

"Ilia has a boyfriend? And it's not Link? _What happened?"_ Talo said, now looking positively offended. "You're way stronger than this guy!"

"Ahaha…"

"Hey now, that's not very nice. Shad does most of the heavy lifting back at our headquarters. He's stronger than me, most days," the swordsman offered, smiling at him in earnest.

"Yeah but… he hangs out with Colin and that weird girl."

 _"Don't be a jerk!_ Colin saved me from that monster and Luda's really nice!" Beth shouted, looking cross. "Also, you never said that you _weren't_ dating Ilia. Is it true?"

"And more importantly, would he be interested in donating to the bridge restoration fund?"

"Come on guys, don't gang up on him like this. Shad and Ilia are two of my best friends, if they were dating I'd be one of the first to know."

"I-I'm… uh…" Shad stammered. "Honoured, to be counted as such."

"… They're _totally_ dating. Just look at how nervous he is. Sorry you had to find out about it this way, Link. Although, maybe you could still win her back?"

"Alright everyone, that's enough for now! We've got a job to do. I'll tell Ilia you all said hi!" Link smiled, placing a hand on the scholar's shoulder as he ushered him through the door. "Sorry about that, Shad. I promise they didn't mean to be rude."

"Oh, _please._ That was a walk in the park compared to any of the customers we get at the bar." The scholar smiled at him. "Perhaps you have untapped potential as one of Telma's future employees? I dare say that she would be overjoyed to have you. For purely selfish reasons, of course."

"That would probably be a bad idea. Ilia was always the more coordinated and, um… careful one of the two of us." Link frowned.

"You don't say." Truthfully, he'd always found Ilia's clumsiness to be endearing, which prompted him to wonder in what capacity Link could _possibly_ be worse. Shad chuckled quietly as they stepped down the ladder, beginning their descent into the ruins. "To work then, my friend?"

"Yeah! Show me around. I wanna see everything."

Though the scholar hadn't been expecting it at all, mostly due to the _reserved_ nature of his work, the swordsman had seemed genuinely interested in the ancient framework beneath the town. It felt as though they'd travelled down into a void where the skies beyond were frozen in time, disconnected from the buried past.

Once he was satisfied that there weren't anything more to cover, Shad stopped in front of the statue at the entrance of the labyrinth. It was set firmly into the wall, surrounded by a sturdy frame carved with intricate designs, not unlike those on the prongs of the Dominion Rod.

"Well, I'm afraid this is where we come to a dead end," he said, wryly. "It seems a lot to hope for but unless this book can further elucidate how one might communicate with the statues, this might be the closest our civilisation ever comes to unlocking a passage to the Skies."

"Have you ever thought about excavating a hole in the wall? There's a bomb shop down the road," Link shrugged.

"… Oh my, surely you do not intend to cause damage to these ruins? Do you have _any_ idea how far these artefacts date back to? L-Link, I simply CANNOT allow it… in fact, I refuse to-"

"Whoa, whoa! I was just _kidding_ there, Shad."

"You were… Oh." The scholar deflated, taking a deep breath. "Goddesses Link, you have the same outlandish sense of humour as Ashei."

The swordsman chuckled nervously in response, in an effort to defuse the situation. "Sorry, that wasn't really funny. I'd never do anything like that to this place. And we don't really have the time to be digging it up."

Mirroring his awkward laughter, Shad then pulled the ancient sky book out from his coat, allowing his eyes to scan quickly over the pages. "Well then, would you be most kind and take out the Dominion Rod for me? There is a rather interesting passage in here."

"Y-Yeah! Got it." The swordsman scrambled around to free it from where he'd strapped under his shield.

"Most excellent. And it says right here, that one must balance it onto their head in order to channel the spirits of the Skies. Otherwise the spell won't work properly, you see."

Link found himself blinking at the strangeness of this request, though he were not in a position to advocate otherwise. Shad was the expert here. And he happened to be in the _best_ hands Hyrule had to offer when it came to ancient lore. "O-Oh… uh, sure."

The scholar looked up from the pages and laughed inwardly at the hero holding the instrument on top of his head, using his fingertips to adjust it into place.

"How long do I do this for…?"

"Just a moment, old boy." He flashed a smirk, which went entirely undetected, before he cleared his throat and read the characters in the book, using a foreign language that sounded just as indecipherable as it were intriguing. At once the Dominion Rod began to glow a dazzling light, causing the hero to gasp. The invisible energy that emanated from it was unmistakably familiar and the subtle humming reached his ears.

"It's… it's working again!" Link exclaimed.

The scholar's reaction was incalculable, as he snapped the book closed and brought a hand to his mouth. Could this have actually _worked?_ In all his years chasing after the Sky, nothing had ever come this easily. Certainly, this ancient book had come at a very steep price, but even so.

"This is exactly how it looked before! Shad, you're the best! You FIXED it!"

"…"

"Can I take it off my head yet?"

"… I have to be honest, old boy. I never expected this to _work."_ Shad paled, looking over the swordsman with awe. "Y-You must remove it at once Link, I'm afraid I was simply having you on about channelling the Sky spirits."

"What? … SHAD!" The younger man tore the instrument from his head, blushing at how gullible he'd just demonstrated himself to be.

"You must try it on the statue here at once!" the scholar breathed. "B-But I simply have no idea what to expect in terms of it coming alive! Have you ever witnessed such a thing?"

Link cringed a little as he laughed, in affirmation. "It's a pretty interesting mechanic. At least I'll be able to show you, now."

But when he swung it towards the lone statue in the room, as he'd done countless times before in the Temple of Time, nothing happened. The hero tried it again, and then a third time, before he held the Rod in his hands and inspected it closely. "Well, ahaha. _This_ doesn't normally happen. It's supposed to switch the statues on right away."

Shad frowned thoughtfully before he searched the book again, feeling as though he were drowning in the barrage of information. His head began to spin as the extent of this new problem dawned upon him. "Oh, no. There's an entire section in the back with missing characters. BLAST IT! Link, we were so close!"

The swordsman lowered the Dominion Rod and glanced back over at his colleague, who held his head in his hands.

"Hey, are you feeling alright?"

For Shad, it really _had_ been too much to hope that things would fall into place, and to have his expectations dashed onto the rocks so swiftly had compressed the rest of his frustrations throughout the week. "… My apologies. I'm going to need a quick minute to cool off before I can be of any further use." Before he could wander away, defeated, Link placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks.

He had been comforted by Shad so many times and seeing him in this crestfallen state had stirred something within him, though he were unable to imagine the amount years the scholar must have sunken into his studies.

"I'll understand if you wanna be alone… but I'm here for you if you wanna talk it through, instead? Two heads are better than one."

The scholar sighed heavily, attempting to conceal his expression. He really didn't like their prospects for unearthing any more of the Sky characters. Especially not within a reasonable amount of time - it had already taken him so long to get _this_ far. Perhaps Link's joke about the bomb shop was closer to the truth than he would have liked.

"… Link." He sighed.

The younger man stepped forward, grabbing both of his shoulders just a _little_ too roughly, though the warmth of his intent was certainly there. "We can fix this! I'm sure there's something simple we're overlooking and it's difficult to think right now, cause we're still riled up on fixing the Dominion Rod."

Shad smiled a little in return. He placed a hand over one of his shoulders where Link held on, and squeezed gently, basking in his presence. "Indeed, it would be difficult for me to come up with a solution at the moment." He chuckled, lightly. But then, just as he'd said it, a new thought popped into his head, as though to contradict him.

 _"The owls!"  
_  
"The… what?" Link smirked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Shad pulled back carefully, holding the hero's gaze as he did so. "There are other statues all over Hyrule, depicting similar owl deities to this one. And this fellow happens to be the outlier. Perhaps those would respond to the Dominion Rod now that it seems to be working? Quickly, you must get out your map! Uh, p-please."

"There he is! He's back." Link grinned as he pulled out the map of Hyrule, having already watched Midna fuss with it on several occasions.

"Before I left town, I'd actually been gathering information on where they all might be." The scholar explained, running his fingers over the regions. He'd pointed out all of the spots where traveling merchants had seen the statues from the road, including the one he'd visited just outside of Kakariko in the Gorge and the one in the ruins of the ancient theatre.

"There's two more, actually. I ran into them during my assignments but had no idea what they did or how they'd gotten there," Link said, marking their locations in the Faron Woods and Gerudo Desert.

 _"Excellent!_ … Truly excellent, Link! Although, the caveat is that they're all so far apart. It would take quite some time for us to go and visit each one," Shad noted. He was beginning to sound rather disappointed once again, forcing the following words to slip out of Link's mouth.

"Actually, there's a way for me to get to them quickly but… um…"

' **Hey** ,' Midna intervened. She spoke sternly into Link's ear, beyond the comprehension of the human standing right next to him. 'I know we're all good friends now but _one_ slip-up was more than enough. I can't have you spilling our secrets all over town after what happened at Snowpeak.'

"Quickly, you say?"

"Y-Yeah. Like, in a day or two. But… it's hard to explain right now," Link stumbled. He heeded Midna's words, though it was far too late for subtlety. Shad's face had lit up excitedly once again, sending a pang of guilt into his stomach. "I really don't want to keep you in the dark again, Shad but… you'll just have to trust me on this. I can get it done and return here as soon as possible."

The scholar failed to notice the hero's shadow as it flickered menacingly in the firelight, his attention fixed firmly onto the man in front of him. "… I could never doubt you, my friend. You shall have to tell me of the results, then."

 _'Tsk._ Look what you've done, Link. You've said too much and that's the face of a man who's held off on asking questions for too long. It's like looking at a puppy on the street. You're the worst.'

"It'll be alright. Don't worry," Link said, to both Midna and Shad. "I'll record anything that I find. And in the meantime, you can probably start on your translation of the rest of the book?"

"Ah, yes! I would treasure the opportunity, in fact. Shall I leave you to it?"

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Promise."

Shad left a lingering and forlorn glance at Link's back as he turned to exit the ruins, catching the sigh of relief the younger man gave as he rubbed at his eyes. "Oh, and next time… please feel free to wake me, if you should ever have news. I assure you that I won't die of fright," he promised.

Link threw a smile over his shoulder. "Thank you. I'll do that."

'That was scary. Do you think… he can hear me?' Midna wondered, entirely unnerved.

* * *

After falling dizzily through shadow's magic into the furthest reaches of Hyrule, Link now stood upon one of the mesas in the southern part of the Gerudo Desert. He watched as the sun dipped into the horizon and the sky drenched the sand hills in a pink hue, giving the world around him an almost supernatural edge.

Vaguely, he were also aware of the Mirror Chamber, towering over them in the distance.

"It's _done_. It's finally done."

"So much for keeping a low profile with the people from town." Midna sighed. She'd taken to her corporeal form as she hung off Link's shoulder, her green veins and red eyes smouldering in the evening light. "How were you planning on telling the scholar that you went and travelled to all these places in a _day?_ Or were you just hoping that he'd drop it? You could've just taken his information quietly."

"Not this again!" Link protested, feeling exasperated from hiking all over the fields all day. "Midna, he's harmless. I told way more stuff to Ashei and she was actually pissed off when it happened, enough to ruin me with it… but she chose not to. There's no way Shad's going to cause us problems."

"Well, soldier girl was already _onto_ you and we ended up with no other choice. But this guy? Can we really trust him to keep quiet? He's a bit of a blabbermouth."

The swordsman had grown so accustomed to Midna's cynicism that he could only shoot a tired smile her way, as he alleviated her concerns. "Shad wouldn't do anything bad. Seriously. He might want to write about this when we're done but that'll be on _me…_ nothing's gonna come back to you or interfere with our mission."

"It's… fine, Link. You couldn't have unlocked the statues without him," she said quietly, her tone shifting. "And I don't think he'd get in the way on purpose. But you should be mindful of getting them _too_ involved, especially after what you went through with Ilia. It's their safety at stake as well, you know! Our worlds were separated for a _reason_ and you're one of the few who can survive both."

Link found himself recalling his earlier experiences of traversing through the spheres of Twilight, and how utterly disorienting it had been, despite the gift of his extra senses. Midna's message was clear. ' _What you're doing is dangerous and you're no ordinary person.'  
_  
"Yeah, yeah… it's not the first time I've heard that. But who are you to tell any of us not to fight? And if we completed the Mirror tomorrow, wouldn't it all be _worth_ it? We've got this."

The shadowy imp met his optimism with a rare smile. "The Mirror comes first. Both of our worlds depend on it. But if something happened to these people because they got too close, you'd be the one who ends up losing everything. So just be careful, alright?"

"Hey. Thanks for worrying about me." The young man from Ordon - who she'd happened to pick up when he was a goat herder - seemed to be glowing with approval as he bumped her lightly on the side of the arm. He'd reasoned that she were far too small to have her hands held… though, it had been easy enough for her to be able to reach out and comfort _him,_ whenever the occasion arose.

In response, Midna blushed with anger and then turned away.

"Don't thank me! You Hylians are too emotional for me to deal with… and I'd prefer to avoid a crisis when I can see it," she warned.

"I'm being _serious._ You don't have any reason to care about this stuff outside of your identity being kept safe."

"You're right, I don't," she agreed. After a brief pause, the imp darted away into his shadow once again. "But _you're_ important too, Link."

A Twilight portal opened above him into the sky, cutting a piercing black void against the faraway heavens. "We should be getting back to Kakariko. Talk to your weird friend about those Sky characters and if it all goes to plan, we'll be leaving this continent altogether."

"I'll hold you to that," Link smirked. He felt that he definitely owed Shad a favour for running off so abruptly and their pep talk had only stoked the fires of rebellion within.

* * *

 **AN:** ... Link, why are you like this? Everybody told you to chill out. Next chapter is going to be fluff central - as if this story wasn't already. ;)


	20. Fly Me to the Moon

**AN:** And we're back!

Sorry to have to make this announcement when most people (especially AO3, this is mostly for FFN) have been wonderful but I'd like to remind everyone that I have a zero tolerance stance towards homophobia or misogyny in my works, including the comments section. :)

We are 'T' (now, M) for a reason. I'm always open to constructive feedback or any other thoughts/feelings you might like to share but keep in mind that diversity is welcomed here. This notice has also been summarised in Chapter 1.

Please enjoy the chapter ahead!

* * *

 **Chapter 20 - Fly Me to the Moon**

"It'll be nightfall, soon," Ilia said wistfully, placing the last of her newly cleaned glasses into a tower behind the counter.

"Don't remind me, little lady," Telma smirked. "It's gonna be a big one tonight. This is when we'd normally hold the Harvest Festival but it's been postponed this year for obvious reasons. So the crowd will be wanting to fill it with _something._ _"_

"Nice to know all our hard work at home was so appreciated."

The familiar clink of glasses and spices of intoxication were thick in the air of the tavern, which was beginning to fill to capacity in the early hours of the evening. And noise levels were escalating to such a boisterous high that _anybody_ would've found it hard to talk covertly in such an environment, not that the circumstances of either of the two women demanded it in this moment.

"There isn't a restaurant in town that isn't hurting from this crisis." The proprietress sighed. "But you'll have more business than ever once we get everything up and running again. This place might even seem like a holiday in comparison! … Speaking of, I've just gotta duck outside for a delivery if you wouldn't mind holding the bar, honey."

"Go on! I've got it under control," Ilia promised.

Ashei studied the rim of the glass she nursed in her fingers, lowering her gaze from the bar where she'd watched Ilia like a hawk. She promised to write to Shad on the subject of her wellbeing but it seemed a great risk for their assignment to have taken place now, of all times. She also knew that Ilia would've hated this sort of thing to come between anyone and their dream, in addition to the fact that she'd been placed under surveillance. But soon, it would be nightfall.

 _'And that's when the bad stuff goes down.'_

"Hey."

The spritely girl looked up and met the warrior's more serious expression with her usual warmth.

"Good evening, Ashei," she greeted behind the counter. "Another one of those… straight out of the bottle things, for you?"

"Yeah. Uh, _please."  
_  
As Ilia turned around to fetch the noxious liquor in question, she nearly jumped at the opportunity to scan her for anything _odd._ But subtlety was not one of her strong points. She quickly averted her gaze as the younger girl turned back around, staring away as she filled the cup with flawless precision. Ashei spoke again, after brushing her hair out of the way, as casually as she could muster.

"So. Been getting enough sleep, lately?"

Ilia blinked in response. But before the warrior could cringe at how heavily she has phrased this question, the barmaid collected herself and answered, "Oh, I'm fine."

"That's… good to hear. Everything certainly _looks_ that way."

"Well, it feels a _little_ more like the way things used to be," she obliged, doing her best to go along with the bizarre line of questioning. "And because I don't have to worry about anything… bad coming up anymore, I've been able to work all day with a clear mind. Telma's already noticed the difference. Nobody else is seeing anything strange."

"Ah. Right."

A brief silence followed, in which neither side knew what to say next.

"Although… it sounds to me like it's still hard for you to switch off at night," Ashei needled, searching the younger girl's face. "Is that what's going on with you, then?"

However, the warrior had taken it _one_ prying question too far. Any reasonable person might've guessed at this point that she were, in fact, unsatisfied with the current array of answers she was getting. Perhaps the strangest part about all of this was the fact that Ilia really didn't seem to be lying. In response, the Ordonian's disposition shifted from one that was merely uncomfortable to one that was now _very_ much annoyed.

"Shad put you up to this before he left, didn't he?" she huffed.

"What? Of _course_ not."

"And he probably expects you to write all of this down into a letter."

Ashei had to hand it to her, Ilia knew his precise nature very well. But the raven-haired girl pressed the spirits to her lips, refusing to confirm her suspicions, for there'd been a far more pressing motive behind her line of questioning.

"Well, if it wasn't him then _Link_ asked you to keep an eye on me _,_ didn't he? They don't think I can manage here without them," Ilia continued, her eyebrows arching down in defiance.

"They might've said some stuff before they left." Ashei shrugged, doing her best to keep calm. The last thing she needed was this conversation blowing up in her face, or for her cover story to be ruined by something so base as emotion. "But that doesn't mean my questions are any more invalid or that _I don't care._ I just… need to hear it from _you_ if there's something going on. I get that I haven't been the easiest person in the world to be around but… you'd let me know if there was, yeah?"

The barmaid turned around and folded her arms, adamant in her refusal to face the warrior.

"I'm not a child, Ashei."

"What?! I never said that you _were!"_

"You're treating me like one! And I don't need my hand held everyday for the rest of my life!" Ilia snapped. "I know I can't fight like the rest of you but that doesn't mean I'm some helpless little girl who needs watching over constantly. Tell Shad to get back to his research… or _tell Link to_ _go away!"_

Ashei edged closer to biting back. It was especially difficult against someone so infuriatingly innocuous. "Save it for those two when they get back. I'm not a messenger bird for _anyone_ around here."

"Then STOP acting like it!"

Upon seeing Telma open the kitchen door from the side-alley, both girls immediately stopped short of their conversation - which had veered well into combative territory - and turned their attention spans elsewhere.

"Your drink's there on the bench," Ilia prompted. She eyed the various bottles on the shelf with feigned interest as she waited for Ashei to leave.

"Yeah. _Thanks,_ farm girl. Been real good talking with you." The warrior rolled her eyes and nearly tripped on Louise as she stomped away, who had been circling the legs of the chair, meowing at the height of their argument. "Get out of my way. Damn cat."

She returned to her usual spot near the window, projecting the airs of somebody who did _not_ want to be disturbed for the rest of the night, until the front door chimed open and Rusl stepped into the bar. After scanning the serving area quickly to check whether Ilia had noticed, Ashei whistled softly to catch his attention.

"There you are," she said bluntly. "Sit with me for a minute."

"Good evening, as always, Ashei," Rusl said, raising an eyebrow at her unusually low tone of voice. He followed her gaze to the other side of the room, wondering what could have possibly been the cause for such animosity towards… Telma? Or was it…

"Shh. Don't draw their attention, just listen."

He carefully lowered himself into the seat opposite the angered woman, clearing his throat. "You're not in the habit of calling on others unless it's something important. Would you mind telling me what's going on?"

After a lengthy pause, in which she took a heavy drink, Ashei turned her attention away from the two women and then met his eyes. "It's Ilia."

"… I see. And what exactly has she done to make you look like you're thinking of robbing this place blind?"

She sighed wearily before continuing. "Rusl, you know about all that weird stuff we did with her memories, yeah? When Shad worked his magic and she went under? It was all meant to be good after that. Your girl here was supposed to go back to normal."

"She seems fairly normal now, does she not? Ilia's also been working harder than ever."

"… She's hiding something," the warrior growled. "At night, I've been hearing things from her room. Strange things, like… _whispering…_ but only when it's really late. Something's still off."

"Midnight whispers, you say? My. Are you certain our resident scholar really did leave town?" he joked, before Ashei involuntarily clenched her teeth. The drink she happened to be holding _burst_ in her hand _,_ trickling spirits and broken glass down her arm and onto the table, drawing stares from the rest of the tavern.

"Be serious for a moment, Rusl," she said, softly.

 _"Ahem._ Sorry, my friend," he corrected, visibly shaken. Clearly this joke had managed to upset her in some manner. She casually swept the pieces of glass to one side of the table.

"Link and Shad aren't around to sort things out, so you're next in line," she admitted, moving the conversation along. "We need to get to the bottom of this. And then, if you can help confirm that I'm _not_ going crazy, we need to inform Telma. I don't want her to get involved if it's nothing."

He frowned, unsure of how to take the offer. "Have you thought about raising any of these concerns with Ilia, herself? It could be that she's become a night owl, after spending so much time with Shad. And that she has some reasonable explanation for all of the noise."

Ashei snorted loudly in response. "Hah. I tried that just before you came in and to say that it didn't go well would be… _optimistic_. I don't think I've ever seen her go off like that, actually."

"Ah. That explains the murderous eyes."

"She has a history of concealing stuff like this though, and I guess… we were never really close enough for her to trust me," Ashei continued, matter-of-factly. "But there's also a _chance_ she might not be fully aware of it happening? It might even be like a sleep-walking thing. I'm good at picking up liars and she seemed pretty legit."

"Your underlying theory is that she has no idea?" Rusl questioned. "Not to be _overly_ doubtful but how on earth did you begin to notice such a thing?"

"Because it woke me up!" The warrior snapped, slapping her hand onto the table. "Don't tell me you all slept through that two nights ago? Everything in the house suddenly went _cold,_ like someone threw all the windows open. And then… I heard it. A weird voice. Heavy, like a man's."

Rusl held his tongue from making another one of the same jokes before she finished.

"You can't tell me there's a reasonable explanation for _that."_

"Then, how about we strike a deal?" he offered. "If you can measure the times in which these disturbances occur, I'll join you for a stakeout. I'd like to hear this for myself before we take any unnecessary action involving Ilia."

"Fine with me."

He shook hands in accord with the hot-tempered warrior - who was only _now_ beginning to simmer down - hoping that this were truly the end of the bad news he'd be conveying to the Ordonian mayor.

'Just you wait,' Ashei promised, lost in her own train of thought. 'I'm gonna find out what's happening. _With or without their help.'  
_

* * *

With a sharp breath, Link resurfaced into a bedraggled version of his human form from under the waterline of the Eldin Springs, snatching his hat from the water as it started to float away. Although he'd known that the portal were located here, he'd had a sneaking suspicion that _someone_ had moved it a little further back than usual.

 _'Oops.'_ Midna giggled at him beneath the rippling surface.

"I'll show you 'oops' the next time you're on my back," he smirked.

The swordsman quickly scanned the shoreline of the lagoon, feeling thankful, more than ever, that the streets of Kakariko were not particularly busy this evening. After taking a second to recollect himself, he waded out of the shallows and squeezed some of the water from his tunic... and then, made a mad dash for the Sanctuary.

Link couldn't have waited much longer to see the look on Shad's face when he told him the work was done and the riddle might finally be solved. And despite the _urgency_ of the war, this had ended up being his primary source of motivation for burning through the task in a single day. But as the hero called out into the vacant chambers below, he was met with nothing but silence.

"You are out of luck once again, I believe…" Renado advised him from the ground floor. "Though, before you arrived here, Shad and the ruins were practically inseparable."

"I'll bet." Link laughed. He turned around and angled himself closer to the nearest flames, taking advantage of the moment to dry off the rest of his clothes. "If anything, I would've thought he'd moved in there by now."

"It takes a rare and dedicated person to come so far out of their element, that much is clear. And I can see why Telma might have brought him on board despite not being trained in the way of combat. Perhaps you might try looking for the scholar in the upper concourse of the village?"

 _"Oh._ That reminds me."

Wincing a little, the swordsman pulled out a sealed letter from the upper folds of his shirt. He remembered Telma's face as she threw it to him with all the warmth of a glacier, giving Ashei a run for her money. The look in her eyes had lead him to believe that she wouldn't have minded so much if the letters bled from the springs.

"This is… from her." He swallowed.

"… I see."

Link glanced down at the letter and then up again at Renado's face as he took it, finding it impossible to read the older man as he turned the envelope over in his hands. "Is, uh… everything okay? She seemed pretty annoyed when she gave it to me. And I thought you two were pretty close?"

Suddenly, the shaman looked up to meet his eyes.

 _'Uh-uh._ Don't go there,' Midna cautioned. 'This is between adults and you've got better news to deliver - to someone who actually wants to hear it.'

"It will be alright, Link," the older man replied, gravely. "We all must live with the choices we make. Even if they are painful, at times."

"Oh… I-I'm sorry. But hang in there! You're both good people and you deserve to be happy?" Chuckling nervously, the swordsman made his way to the door and slipped out of the building, leaving the mysterious man to his devices.

He followed the weathered scaffolding that ran along the side of the mountain, taking the opportunity to run and jump over the precarious rooftops.

'Not to be _overly_ romantic but happiness is such a frivolous concept,' Midna lamented in his ear. 'Imagine having the time to worry about these issues when you've got a whole village to rebuild or a business to run! There's a war going on… or did they conveniently forget that? He-llo!'

"Y'know, people can be worried about _more_ than one thing at a time," Link answered. "And Telma and Renado work harder than anyone. They've kept whole communities going through this whole thing, even after they both lost their partners."

'Oh, smart boy. You managed to pick up on that? Your barkeep does a great job at hiding it.'

The hero smiled morosely, ignoring the fact that he'd been underestimated once again. "That picture Telma hangs above the fireplace in the tavern? … Yeah, I saw it. I also got the impression that she used to run the business with him, until something… to do with the civil war happened? Same war that killed my parents. I'm sure the others could tell me more but… it's not really my place."

Link ditched the mountain path for the abandoned house where he'd first found the frazzled scholar. In the dingy room, his eyes settled upon the familiar ancient text that was now tucked into the middle of a transcription laid out on the desk. However, there was still no sign of Shad. Damn, he thought. But with the coast clear, Link decided to continue the exchange.

"And even though you told me to be careful, Midna, I'm about to prove to you the difference happiness can make. The war shouldn't put an end to people's dreams. It might even be their only chance to make them happen."

The imp felt her breath hitch from the shadows, unable to reach out and stop him in his tracks for fear of the scholar suddenly emerging from nearby. So, _this_ was why Link was so excited about embarking onto the next stronghold, however out of reach it was, she'd grimly realised. And she knew better than anyone his innate fear of not being able to feel the ground at his feet. The prospect alone should've been enough to blunt his enthusiasm.

'You're not… thinking of bringing the scholar up into the Sky, are you?'

The mischievous blonde threw a smile her way, confirming the dangerous plan without a word.

'… You _are,_ aren't you,' she finished, the ridiculousness of the situation dawning upon her. 'Wow, Link. I thought you hit peak stupidity when you nearly got yourself shot as a wolf but _this is-'_

"Hey. Listen. He'll be safe with me up there, so there's no use in you getting worked up over it. We've put up with harder conditions and I haven't failed a mission yet." His tone was infuriatingly neutral.

Though most of her answers were heavily veiled in sarcasm and flippancy, the dark sorceress had found herself unable to control her anger as she veered down the path of heightened responsibility. This went against everything she had _just_ said about keeping the other humans at a safe distance. Compared to liberating Hyrule from Zant's control, filling in the gaps of its history seemed utterly superfluous.

'No, Link! _YOU listen to me now!'_ she snapped. 'How _dare_ you make sneaky little plans like this behind my back? We don't need to be babysitting while we're hunting the final Mirror shard! That poor, defenceless man is gonna trip on his shoelaces and fall into a pit,or something. This just _spells_ disaster.'

"I won't be babysitting anyone," Link said, without blinking. "Shad's smart, he can look after himself! And he won't be coming with us to the more dangerous areas, if it can be helped. When we're done, the two of us get to return home with our main missions completed! It's a win-win situation."

Midna sighed audibly from the shadows. '… Are you sure this isn't… some purely selfish fantasy of yours?'

"It's got nothing to do with that! This is his lifelong _dream!"_ he argued, fierce in his determination. "Haven't you ever wanted something that _wasn't_ revenge, that badly? And Shad's spent all this time caring for Ilia while I've been away. He deserves to see the Sky for himself, after everything good that he's done. I'm making it happen."

'I am NOT agreeing to this.'

"Well, what are you gonna do about it?"

She noticed that Link was grinning at her, which felt particularly abrasive against her mocking exterior.

"You won't be able to teleport him home, either. He's not like me or Zelda who can move through the Twilight or some piece of bridge sitting in the desert. You also need me to find the Mirror! So, are you gonna stop us or help us through it?"

'What do you expect me to say? That it's going to be safe?' Midna bit back at him, sounding more wearied than angered at this stage. 'If you don't be careful, then _neither_ of you might be coming back. We're going somewhere completely untouched by humans in thousands of years. Who knows what'll be up there?'

"Just _trust_ me. I can make this work."

The swordsman stared at his shadow. And she glared back at him in the dark, eyes burning with frustration.

'… This is on you,' she said, firmly. 'You do realise that this is the last thing we do before we face the usurper king, right? I need you to be ready for that.'

"I will be, promise. I'm… here 'til the end, Midna," Link nodded.

'… I know that. You haven't let me down.' As annoying as you are, Midna wanted to add. But instead, all that came to her were the truth of the shaman's words. 'Hmmm. Well, if this is how it's gonna be, then it looks like you'll just have to live with your choices. For your sake, I hope this works out. Certain people might be angry if he comes back with even a scratch. And she'll rip your arms off, don't you doubt that.'

"Ahahaha… yeah," The swordsman agreed, nervously.

As he wandered outside, he noticed that the sun's light had fallen deep beyond the hills at the point. The chill of night seeped into the valley, prompting Link to wonder where Shad could feasibly be at such a time. His eyes drifted up and over the cliffs, instinctively seeking out the highest places that this town had to offer. And then, he remembered the conversation he'd had with the scholar that morning.

"The spring!" he grinned.

* * *

Shad sank into the shimmering waters of the mountaintop, the heat of the earth soothing the stiffness in his writing hand along with the weaker areas of his back. He'd stripped down to nothing but his undergarments - his ruffled shirt hanging loosely against a nearby rock and his glasses, prone to fogging, propped carefully along the nearby shore. He closed his eyes and drew deep from the warm vapours, before the sound of footsteps roused his attention. Looking a little more tired than usual, Link wandered into his line of vision from a nearby path that tumbled past the buildings below.

"Oh, Link! Good evening!" Shad welcomed. He went to stand up, but then, upon remembering the fact that he was down to nothing but the _essentials,_ he bent over and concealed himself in the waters once again. "I-I apologise that you, er, had to catch me like this."

"H-Hey! Shad! I looked _everywhere_ for you!" The swordsman smiled. "I need to tell you about the owls, I-"

But before he could step into the spring, he stopped short, having only _just_ dried himself off after Midna's little prank.

"… I'm afraid that the acoustics up here are rather dreadful with the moving water," the scholar called, raising his voice over the rippling blue expanse that surrounded him. "Perhaps… you'd care to join me? And then we could talk properly? The heat works wonders for exhaustion."

"Um, sure. If that wouldn't be too… uh, uncomfortable for you?"

Link winced a little after the faux pas he'd pulled in the study, by stripping down to sleep as he normally did. Although, for the first time _ever,_ it seemed that the older man was the one without a shirt. The occasion hadn't been lost on his more athletic counterpart, who bit his lip and averted his gaze whenever he moved. Not that Shad would've been able to notice the stares. For somebody who sat at a desk all day, his arms and upper chest were remarkably toned.

Midna would certainly have something to say about this later.

"Nonsense," he scoffed, gesturing to the water. "Did I not say that I would show you around my personal retreat? This is it."

"… Alright. But maybe you'll wanna turn around this time?" the swordsman winked. He'd missed it, but the playful tone had caught Shad off-guard. He blushed as he shielded his eyes with a hand, out of courtesy more so than necessity.

Once Link had carefully hung up his tunic and his boots - placing them upon a rock, next the city man's own bundle of fancier clothing - he stepped into the shallows and waded deeper into the spring. He sat on a shelf of rock right next to the scholar, who jumped a little as he tapped him on the shoulder, signalling the fact that it was finally _safe_ to look. Shad lifted his hand from his eyes, with care, before he asked, "So, am I to believe that you've brought news about the statues, then?"

"I have. Really good news, that is! Sorry if that, uh… wasn't clear, haha," Link stumbled, correcting his tone. "Are you feeling better about it all, Shad? You definitely seem different from this morning."

His friend nodded quietly, flashing a gentle smile over the stirring waters. "I translated as much of the ancient text as I could. Without burning the midnight oil, that is."

"And do you plan to, later?"

"Perhaps." He sighed, feeling the ghost of a writing cramp in his hand. "However, I was beginning to wonder if… the time might be better spent away from the desk."

"That's unlike you."

"So it is! But when the Sky book explained the roles of the deities to me in further detail, I knew then that it would be wiser to wait for _your account_ before adding to my notes. You are, after all, shaping our history Link."

"It's not just me," Link admitted, weighed down from the guilt of ditching him earlier. "All of us are. The Resistance is moving Hyrule out of this conflict. Especially you, Shad. You cared about saving its history when nobody else even thought to look."

Shad smiled at him again, though a thread of regret lingered in his eyes.

All the while, Link couldn't help but find himself marvelling at just how _different_ the other man looked without his trademark glasses. It were such a small and minute change, but free of those round frames, he seemed far more vulnerable and exposed. His cheeks were flushed, though just a little sunken. Perhaps it was due to all the nights spent on his research. He also noticed that the area beneath Shad's lower lids were shadowed with grey. However, none of this could dull the beauty of those unique eyes, or the warm colours in his hair. Or that crooked smile.

"This was my father's dream, initially… but I _do_ appreciate the sentiment, old boy," he offered quietly, coming back from the brink of a sombre thought. "Though, at times it can feel like there is scarce little beyond our roles in this conflict. I am certain that you must tire of it also… but you do a wondrous job of showing otherwise."

"… I try not to think _too_ much about it," Link admitted. "Even if the war's taken most of my identity at this point. But moments like _these -_ they're enough to get me through. I can put up with anything, as long as I get to come back to you and Ilia and Ashei… and everyone back at the tavern."

Shad regarded him with a glimmer of amusement. "We do have quite the strange group, don't we?"

The swordsman had certainly noticed that their conversation was veering away from any mention of the research or statues from earlier today. He decided to play along, without reservation, conscious of the fact that they were indeed sharing in a moment of healing. He then wondered if were perhaps the blessing of Eldin in these waters, bringing their pressures to a standstill.

Link watched as the moon began to rise over the edge of the valley, saturating the world below it in a particularly warm glow. The golden light soon transformed the vapours of the springs, which rolled away into the sky like wisps of smoke. Shad feared that his vision might've compromised such beauty but he made some bleary effort to admire the celestial beacon.

Part of him wondered how it might've looked over the city, instead.

Meanwhile, Link could not be happier that they were so removed from that part of the world. He had always felt more like himself out here, _in the wild, the ground shifting beneath his paws._ But he'd also known that this were not a sentiment shared by the scholar. He seemed far more preoccupied with the stars than the desolate places in which they shined brightest.

"You know, it really is nice up here. I can see why you like it," he sighed, in the spirit of relaxation. "But I'm also kinda surprised that you've gotten so into it. I know that this place isn't exactly your idea of comfort."

The swordsman coughed as he glanced around the dusty landscape, which had also seemed rather alien to him in comparison to the Southern woods.

"Hah! I might be from the city but I'm not afraid of a bit of dirt, or all the incessant climbing it took to get up here." The scholar smirked. "You ought to understand from traveling everywhere, do you not? That one must follow the customs of the area in order to be fully immersed. And I must say, this does make for a more interesting work environment."

"But… you still miss town, don't you? It's where you belong."

"… It is not _so_ much the place, as it is the people there," he agreed, feeling somewhat moved that the hero recognised his homesickness. "And, although you were _too_ polite to say anything about it yesterday, I do miss the odd glass of wine."

Link laughed bitterly and pulled a face. "Ugh. I know that I wouldn't. Uh, don't tell anyone about this but Ashei gave me some of… _whatever_ it is that she carries around with her on our assignment." He cringed and shook his head, feeling the imprint of the liquor's burn in his throat.

Suddenly, it was Shad's turn to laugh. "I suppose I don't need to _ask_ to know what that experience was like."

"Goddesses, it was bad. How is she still _alive_ after drinking that? What's her secret?"

"Oh. Well, I suppose there's no hiding it from you now, but our dear warrior is one of the undead," the scholar explained, with the most serious expression he could muster. "She has no real need of food or drink and runs purely on spite. I would ask that you refrain from attacking her, though. We'd be terribly upset to lose such a fine asset to our organisation."

The swordsman laughed so hard that no sound came out of his mouth. He hid most of his grin in his hands. "I'll do my best _not_ to. She's looking great for somebody of that, um… condition, though. Fights even better for it too."

The scholar took note of the compliments and raised an eyebrow, despite the obviousness of Ashei's skill and her bewitching appearance. As much as she would've absolutely bitten his head off at the latter claim.

 _"I say,_ would your first drink happen to be from the same night that you, uh… omitted the details of… for fear of death?" He then asked, feeling more daring than usual.

"Details? Of what?"

Link shot a glance at Shad directly, tilting his head at the strange tone he'd used. But the scholar found himself just as puzzled, unable to read whether he were simply playing dumb to avoid trouble. "… I-I apologise, Link. It appears I was being _overly_ curious and I would not want to cause embarrassment to either of you… haha."

"Ohh, you mean the _snow in!"_ the swordsman recalled, with a grin. "Ahaha! Why didn't you just say so? I don't actually think it's that bad… even if Ashei threatened to end me, over it. So, you wanna know what happened then, huh?"

Shad draped a hand over his face, feeling his heart begin to race as he blushed, and nodded - having already tried and failed to back off. The prospect of solving this mystery had sent him into an agitated state. He knew now that he would have to make peace with any of the information that was about to come out, if he were to ever seem normal about it.

Link studied his reaction with a bent eyebrow before he continued.

"It wasn't anything, um… improper," he began, nervously. "We were too injured and exhausted to dig ourselves out and the fire wasn't really cutting it. So, we ended up keeping each other warm. And at first I was _really_ worried I'd do the wrong thing and end up losing my head… but she ended up being cool about it. And we made friends. We'd spoken for a bit, had some alcohol. Ashei fell asleep on me and then I closed my eyes, next minute it was morning."

"… Oh. No. _Oh, dear._ After all of this time… and the manner in which I acted!" Shad muttered, his eyes widening in shock.

"Was that a weird thing for you to hear about your friend? I'm… sorry."

"No, Link, I've made a terrible mistake! I was under the impression that y-you and Ashei were _intimate_ with each other. I-If you catch my meaning…?"

"Wh…? Oh. OH."

The reality of his implications dawned upon the younger man and he turned so red, that even the visually-challenged scholar was able to pick it up.

"And I may have lost my temper over it, some weeks ago," Shad confessed, in a panic. "N-Not that it was my place to do so… and I ended up apologising for it in earnest. However, you would both be free to _pursue_ such a thing, if it ever came to be! I-In fact, I would fully support you both in such an endeavour-"

"Shad, I've never even kissed anyone!" Link confessed, grabbing the back of his neck.

"… Y… You never… Never? _Truly?"_

"Uh, apart from Ilia - _one time_ , _by accident -_ but is this really why you guys were fighting all those weeks ago?"

The scholar glanced at him sideways. He wondered how anyone could have kissed someone as lovely as her unintentionally. After that, he found himself wondering how someone like Link could have made it _this_ far in life without a proper kiss. He took a deep breath, fearing that the following words might land him into even hotter water than those which he currently enjoyed.

"I suppose, yes. But it was my fault, you see. Because… I was jealous."

The conversation fell quiet for a moment as the swordsman took in the sounds of the mountain around them, noticing the faint echo of crickets from the valley below. Eventually, Link replied. "Really?"

Overcome with anxiety that he'd said too much, Shad began to slink under the waters.

"Can I ask you… what you were jealous of? I don't wanna get the wrong idea, I mean, if you thought I was taking your friend away. At first, I was worried that was gonna happen with you and Ilia… but those feelings went away pretty quickly, haha." _  
_  
"It is… a _little_ more complicated than that, I'm afraid," he confessed softly, pulling himself back up.

"… Well, I don't mind hearing you out. If it'll clear things up for you?"

The Ordonian smiled back at him kindly, hesitant to push the issue with Shad. However, the prospect of addressing _several weeks_ worth of odd glances - which soon escalated into touching hands, and holding each other in place when their circumstances had gotten too intense - was too tempting to pass up.

"I shall spare you the history lesson, for now," the scholar acquiesced after a heavy pause. "I fear that we might be here all night if I tried to untangle all of my, erm… all of _the_ feelings for Ashei, but…"

As the words slipped out, Shad caught himself in the hold of an entirely different fear, and immediately stilled his tongue. Nothing else came out of his mouth in defence. Link stared back at him, his blue eyes widening in shock.

"Whoa, there!" He laughed, sending a playful splash the other man's way. "I KNEW it! You don't actually hate each other!"

"Of course not, wh-why would we? … We're _friends,_ yes?" the scholar defended, meekly. "And we've since… resolved any ambiguity on that topic."

"But whenever I've spoken to either of you about the other, it's like you're both being weird about it. Did you… have some kind of scary experience that put you off, or…?"

"I-I… _that_ _is-"_

Shad blushed heavily, shooting a reactionary wave back at the young swordsman and all of his usual tact. He also found this _far_ easier to do than admitting that the single most terrifying experience he'd ever had with Ashei had actually inspired the _opposite_ effect in him. _"Please,_ Link. Let me finish. There is more. For your ears, only."

He took another deep breath before he continued. "You should know, that I also… believe _you_ to be quite the extraordinary person. You are kind, brave, and most adept. And… beautiful. I-If that is not so offensive to proclaim."

Link listened intently at this point, with only the sound of the water around them to break the otherwise deafening quiet. "Why would that be bad? I thought the same thing about you, when we met," he offered, unflinchingly.

"I feared that you might've been joking when you told me as such." Shad laughed. "Though, it were… most pleasant, to hear."

"I'm glad."

"Ah, but I am losing track of myself! What I am trying to say - and am failing _spectacularly_ at - is that I…" He stopped again, trying to drown out the feeling of his heart beating in his ears. "I admire you greatly, Link."

"When you say admire, you mean…?"

"I… think I have feelings for you. In fact, I know I do."

Link grew still as the words sank in. Though he'd fought it from _showing_ on his face, the truth was that Shad had sent him into a state of quiet euphoria.

"And - w-well - I suppose I have no _right_ to… but I thought I might be upfront about it for _once in my life._ Because I feel as though I could trust you with anything! If this wouldn't ruin our friendship, that is. I… uh, _pray_ that it doesn't."

"So, it doesn't bother you that I'm a man?" he asked slowly, looking more vulnerable than ever.

"Not any more than it would for one to be a woman, no," Shad answered, heavily. "I understand that this may not exactly be the most _common_ manner of doing things. But to that point, I am… entirely unconcerned. And so, there it is. I enjoy the company of others as they are."

To his immeasurable surprise, the young swordsman moved himself over, their shoulders meeting. He smiled as he leaned forward, allowing the demands of the world evaporate in the heat around him. "Well, I really like you, Shad. A lot. In _that_ way _,_ if that wasn't clear _._ "

"You… you _do?_ _Oh."_

Their voices fell into silence, as they leaned against each other upon the water's edge. The rich blues of the water seemed to illuminate Link's face, playing brightly in his eyes, which caught Shad's attention before he reached for the swordsman's hand. They squeezed onto each other for a moment before Link leaned in closer and rested his head against his collarbone. The scholar, in turn, then pressed his chin against the other man's dark, golden hair.

"Is it alright with you if we sit like this?" Link asked.

 _"Goddesses, what a relief._ I feared that I might be over-stepping my boundaries, but… yes. Of course you may, old boy."

And then, for a time, neither of them moved.

"There's a lot of stuff going on that I can't talk about, yet," the hero said softly, stirring the moment. "About the war. And I'm… not really in a position to be making promises to anyone outside of that. Even though I've got _one_ last selfish trick up my sleeve once we get out of here. Don't worry, you'll love it."

"Selfish? You? Perish the thought." Shad chuckled. His voice reverberated through his chest as he spoke, creating an odd sensation against the side of Link's face. "I have never met anyone more determined to help others. Surely, we would be lost without you."

The hero had to stop himself from arguing against the truth of the matter, that there was a good chance he _might not_ be coming back. For this reason, he'd barely envisioned a future beyond surviving the final battle. His worst fear was hurting anyone unlucky enough to be involved with him.

Just like Ilia.

But just for tonight, he refused to let the conflict win. He pushed aside the scathing voice of the Hero's Shade, the regrettable demands placed upon him by Midna and the ghastly image of Hyrule Castle. Instead, he dug his heels into the moment of peace before him.

"Um… what I _wanted_ to say though, was that I'm still here for you in any way that you need, Shad. Even outside of all the stuff that's going on. I just… really needed you to know that. You and Ilia are special to me."

"I could not tell you how thankful I am to hear that," Shad murmured. "And although my words must pale _terribly_ in comparison… I must tell you that I also feel the same." The scholar smiled. "Perhaps, once everything is restored, we could… spend some more time together?"

The younger man glanced up at him calmly before he nodded, his hair scratching lightly against his skin. "I'd like that."

"However - forgive me if I am being obtuse - you are saying that for now it would be difficult for you to be more, yes? I just wanted to be certain. So that I don't do anything to make you… uncomfortable."

"… Yeah. I'm really sorry."

"Oh, Link. There will be no more apologising to me. Did I not promise I'd be here for you, in any capacity?" Shad's tone had perked up from one where he'd felt like a mass of nerves, into a voice of familiar levity. He smiled again as he brushed Link's hair out of his eyes with his fingers. "If you like, we could stay here a while and foolishly pretend that there is no war. Just two people, with only their plans for the future!"

"But there's a finished Sky Book with your name on it," Link teased. "We both have destinies, you know. Mine is to fight for Hyrule. And _this_ discovery was always meant to be yours, I think."

"Destiny can wait!" the scholar rebuffed, though his face began to twitch with anticipation. The adrenaline that had fuelled _years_ of reading and scrounging for evidence was beginning to resurface, the mystery of the Skies calling to his mind.

"You're thinking about the ruins now, aren't you?" the hero said, his smirk knowing. "Did you wanna head down there, then?"

"Ah, haha! Yes, old boy," Shad admitted, chuckling at how easily he'd just been read. "I would like that very much."

* * *

It had felt so much darker than usual in the cavern on this night, perhaps due to the absence of the bright sky to light up their surroundings. Though, this wasn't enough to stop Link and Shad from rushing down there immediately, enlivened with a giddiness that had taken hold of them since the springs. The swordsman marvelled at the manner in which Shad's face lit up as he sounded out the new, alien Sky characters against the blank spaces of the book.

The guardian before him _rumbled,_ drawing a gasp from his lips as his hands nearly lost the text altogether… but he continued on, afraid to stop as his words touched the ancient stone. The ruins were flooded with a brightness that emanated out of the owl as it shifted, transforming into one of the forms that lay scattered all over Hyrule to this day.

"Awesome, Shad! You did it _again!"_ Link cheered.

"But what does this mean?" The scholar gasped, rubbing the residual flash out of his eyes. "How in the blazes does this help us?"

The hero swung the Dominion Rod at the statue, causing the etches that ran along it to come alive with a dazzling light. Shad watched, wordlessly, as he lead it away. With the path before them clear, they descended down a steep staircase into a new room, a cavern, illuminated by the slivers of moonlight that shone down through the decaying ceiling.

" **This is**."

Shad stared at the contraption before him, frozen in his tracks. Of all the things he could have imagined finding down here - perhaps a mural or a text that had hidden the _next_ clue toward the path to the Skies - the Sky Cannon of legend seemed most unlikely. And yet, here it was now, shining with all the colours of the night.

"Is that the thing you were talking about at the bar?" Link asked him, casually.

"… Indeed, I believe it is."

The scholar's expression was awe-struck, _stunned_ beyond the limitations of his own lifetime.

'You got it!' Midna chimed in Link's ear, keen to commandeer the discovery for herself. 'Well done! Now we just need to find someone who can fix this pile of junk. A cannon expert, if you can figure that out.'

"Junk, you say?!" Shad snapped, hastily readjusting his glasses in the process. "Please, you must first consider the potential, Link! This was once our _history,_ our connection to the place where all Hylians were said to have originated from! Lost many generations ago to the hubris and neglect of mankind-"

"Hey! _I_ didn't call it that…! Uh…"

"… Then… oh. I do apologise, I must be hearing things." The scholar frowned.

After a brief silence, Link found himself contemplating the most _tactful_ way of separating a lifelong-devout from the discovery of his lifetime. As much as it pained him to do so.

"Shad," he began, softly. "Could you… close your eyes? I need you to promise me not to open them until I say so. Even if it starts to feel weird in here. Please?"

"Of course, old boy."

Shad obliged, dutifully turning himself around as he did so. Allowing the mysterious hero to work without objection had gotten them both this far, and if things were to ever work between them, he'd have to place his trust Link one more time. But once closed his eyes, the ground began to rumble and quake with startling intensity, throwing him out of his thoughts.

 _'What in all of the heavens...?'_

The air in the room shifted. And then, the space around him came alive at once. Shad drew a sharp breath as he clenched his hands, paralysed where he stood.

"H-Hey!" Link grabbed onto the scholar's hands to reassure him, having witnessed the telltale signs of his anxiety. "Don't worry. You're safe with me, Shad."

"Th-Thank you, Link," the scholar breathed. He squeezed onto his hands tightly, enjoying their warmth, along with the sensation of his callouses which ran thick along the tips of his fingers. It was enough to distract him from the terrifying sensations of the room. Even if the swordsman's palms had begun to gather with sweat.

With the cannon salvaged and Midna gone, there was only one thing left for Link to do.

"You can open them now," he instructed.

But just as Shad did so, he felt something new and unexpected, as Link came in close and stood up on his toes, pressing his lips against his own. He moved his mouth, slowly and carefully, doing his best to emulate what he'd seen other people doing in the streets. His lips were a little rough against the scholar's skin, who certainly _noticed_ their chapped texture, but he delighted in the sensation nonetheless. When Link broke away, he returned the favour, pulling him into a close embrace.

Being a more experienced man hadn't helped Shad in the slightest. He struggled to pull away. Just as much as it tortured him to think that he might be coming on too strong, that he might be _too_ demanding on someone carrying the weight of the world.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Maybe in a few days," Link promised. With some relief, he noticed that Shad was totally oblivious to the disappearance of the centrepiece he'd been hunting all these years.

"And… what happens then?" the scholar asked, breathless.

"You're coming with me to the Sky."

* * *

 **AN:** ... :O

Thank you all for your patience, it's been a very busy couple of weeks and I hope you've enjoyed the "downtime" in this chapter. The next one will have more action! ... (Sadly, that is not a euphemism xD)

I'll also do my best to keep the updates prompt. This project has definitely taken on a mind of its own though, so I can at least promise you all that it'll be seen through to completion.


	21. Here, There Be Monsters

**AN:** It's adventure time! ~

Link probably wishes that he could just go on a normal date, like visit a cafe or something. But Shad is living his best life and nobody is going to stop him.

* * *

 **Chapter 21 - Here, There Be Monsters  
**  
Link paced anxiously along the edge of Lake Hylia, which had looked brilliant in the morning sun, three days after he vanished from Kakariko. He took advantage of the long moment that the scholar spent staring over the Sky Cannon in order to mentally prepare himself for what was about to happen.

This time, the delay was particularly torturous for Shad, who thought of nothing _but_ him in the brief window of absence. He'd discovered that writing alone at his desk now completely failed to offer the same escape he once clung to. And, somewhat shamelessly, he'd also caught himself zoning out on several occasions… now frequented by the sensation of those shy lips moving against his, and butterflies that had nowhere else to escape but through the trembling in his hands or in the heat that rolled off of his face.

However, true to his word the hero returned on the afternoon of the second day. After watching the scholar send off the rest of his belongings to Castle Town on the next carriage, all that was left for him to do was escort the man himself to Lake Hylia for the voyage ahead.

The night's ride to the lake had been _interesting,_ to say the least. Shad, who was still thrown by the new dynamic in their relationship - and by horseback riding in general - beamed at the opportunity to place his arms around his new flame as they rode together. But unfortunately the excitement was rather short-lived, as the rough journey gave him quite the bout of motion sickness.

"Are you feeling alright, Shad?" Link asked, patting him on the back during a much needed break.

"Y-Yes, old boy… I'm quite fine… really." He was panting.

"… I uh, should probably let you know that there are Stalhounds in this area of the field at night. I don't mind holding them off for a while though, if you're still feeling unwell…?"

"There are undead out here? In this _precise area?"_ Shad paled. He looked at Link twice to ensure that he _hadn't_ been joking before immediately hoisting himself back up onto Epona, thoroughly conscious of the fact that living behind the city walls had made him a prime target for pranks such as these.

"Heavens _,_ let us be on our way, then!"

Eventually they made their way down into the water basin where the Sky Cannon was situated onto an island, fully repaired in all its immense glory. As the sun finally rose over the water, the serene beauty of the lake came alive with shimmering hues of light blue and purple. It seemed almost a shame to leave it all behind.

"Well, this is it." Link laughed, nervously. "I can't promise what it'll be like up there… or even if the cannon's gonna work the way that we planned. But I've put it into the best hands Hyrule has to offer! Just like you with the Dominion Rod. So, I think our chances are pretty good."

This response had elicited a sideways glance from Shad.

"You've _not_ used this before? Not even on a practice run?"

"Nope! No time!" he said, running a hand through his yellow hair. "So, are you… ready for this?"

The scholar laughed, far more heartily than usual, wiping residual tears from his eyes before he patted himself down to check for the essentials. They were all there; the notebook, the sketchbook _,_ writing supplies, his spare glasses and Ashei's flask… in the event that everything went _very_ wrong and he needed to smooth his transition from the mortal realm.

"Goddesses, Link. May I have your permission to speak freely?"

"Always."

"I think you are completely, and utterly, barking mad. A genius, nonetheless, but _mad._ And perhaps… the most exceptional person I have ever had the good fortune of meeting. You've brought us this far. I am… as ready as I'll ever be."

Link held out his arm, his eyes locking onto Shad's. His smile was disrupted by a wave of apprehension, one that outmatched any of his usual nerves before an assignment. "Then, hold onto me. As much as you can! And, uh… _don't let go_ for the love of Nayru. Seriously, don't. You might end up sort of…"

"Terribly maimed or deceased?" Shad chuckled. He entwined his arm around the younger man's, gripping onto his gloved hand. "… I should be so lucky."

"Trust me Shad, that's better than finding out what'll happen to me in town if I head back there alone."

'Come on, Link. I don't like this at all,' Midna whispered into his ear. She had kept suspiciously quiet during their trip to the lake, perhaps unnerved by this latest development in their plans. 'How are we supposed to work up there if he can _hear me?_ And how do you know he hasn't been eavesdropping on us the entire time? It's not too late to ditch him, you know-'

"Aww, don't be scared," Link teased, directing this at his shadowy counterpart more so than the man whose hands were trembling.

"I could not be _less_ scared!" The scholar laughed sarcastically. "Flying through the air without so much as a parachute or even an inkling as to where we will land? Why, this is precisely the sort of thrill my research was lacking."

"Great! At least one of us is into it… cause I'm, uh… really not the best with heights."

 _"You're_ having second thoughts about this?!"

"We're going in, now. Hold on."

The hero whipped out some sort of spring-loaded device, curiously lethal in appearance, though it most resembled the talons of a hawk. Before Shad could even ask what it was for, it shot forward with the speed of an arrow, tearing them through the air and landing them straight into the loading core of the Sky Cannon. Link wasn't kidding around when he'd warned him to _really_ hold on. In a manner of seconds, the machinery around them came alive and the cannon angled itself up into the air, locking onto its hidden mark, before-

 **_BANG!_ **

They were launched mercilessly into the Sky. The force was so violent and immense that Shad found it impossible to scream, let alone get in another breath of air. Adrenaline surged through his body and enlivened him down to his fingertips. His lungs seized. Then, his mind battled his senses, shaking his hold onto consciousness. Some distant part of him _knew_ that if he went under, then there was no guarantee that he'd still be holding onto Link - if and when he ever woke up.

"AHHHHHH!"

At his side - and unfortunately, the polar opposite - the swordsman clenched his eyes shut and screamed so loudly that it nearly deafened the sound of wind in their ears. He tangled himself with Shad, gripping both arms now instead of one, squeezing down the last of his breath. Unwittingly, sabotaging their likelihood for a safe landing.

There was a tipping point of the journey, in which the scholar absently noted that they were, in fact, falling back down. They tore through the clouds from some ungodly height, heading down towards what appeared to be an island floating in the sky below.

Closer.

And closer it came.

Until the last thing he remembered was a sudden, frigid plunge.

Link and Shad crashed into an ancient basin of freshwater that had all but _exploded_ under their trajectory. It caught them more efficiently than any cloud in the sky. The swordsman felt his lungs squeeze under the immediate pressure of the water, disoriented for a moment, before he launched himself off the bottom of the pool and surfaced in one piece. _Functional._ Though, thoroughly shaken.

"… Shad?" he spluttered, spinning around as he treaded the water. His light-headedness caught up to him as he gathered his bearings. "Shad! Where are you? SHAD?!"

He looked down and - _to his immense relief_ \- spotted the scholar not too far away from where he'd landed. He laid listlessly against the bottom of the pool, his body glancing over the tiles. Link took a sharp breath and dived beneath the surface. Feeling around, he managed to grab onto one of Shad's arms, before pulling him over to a row of submerged steps.

Link hoisted Shad onto a patch of grass, upon which the sun shone bore down heavily, unimpeded by any tree or mountain. Next, he laid him out on his back, inspecting the scholar closely for any signs of bruising or trauma. Aside from being totally drenched, he appeared to be in an immaculate condition.

But this hadn't changed the _very_ alarming fact that he was no longer breathing.

'Your emotional support human appears to be unconscious,' Midna sighed from the shadows. 'Probably from the way you were strangling him all the way up here. Poor guy couldn't catch a single breath!'

"Shad, wake up! We made it. We're here in the city, now. SHAD!" Link shouted, shaking him by the shoulder, refusing to believe that this was actually happening. "You have to _breathe! …_ DAMNIT!"

"Gracious!" called out a new voice.

The Hylian slowly turned his attention up, bewildered to hear someone familiar addressing him in this moment.

"It looks as though you weren't too far behind us after all, brave adventurer."

"Ooccoo?" he gasped.

"You won't believe this, but there's a dragon raging outside the city walls! I say we should get this one inside somewhere safe before we try to revive him, or else it _just_ might snatch him up in those terrible claws."

"A _dragon?"_ Link repeated, having already hauled Shad up onto his shoulders. He lumbered forward at a painfully inefficient pace, finding it _much_ harder to support another human when they weren't able to grip or balance onto him in return. Even heavier was the knowledge that he'd just put Shad's life in far greater peril than before.

'… Now, I'm no expert on how Hylians like to do things but in _my world?_ We don't take our first dates with us into dragon lairs. You've gotta work up to that stuff,' Midna mused.

"Are you gonna help us or what?!" Link hissed through gritted teeth.

When he looked ahead, he noticed a white-bricked building that gleamed in the light, only in the spots where it hadn't been overgrown by vines and grasses. Ooccoo fluttered on eagerly in front of them, directing the group to the heavily reinforced door of what appeared to be a shopfront.

'Don't tell me I _never_ do anything for you,' Midna objected.

The powerful hand she kept stashed in her helmet crept into view, shouldering most of Shad's weight as Link dragged them faster to safety. Haphazardly, he combed the skies for any sign of the apparent dragon… but just as he were about to give up, a large shadow flickered over the sun. Followed by a blood-curdling ** _screech_**. It was unlike anything he'd ever heard before, raising all of the hair on his arms.

'Silly boy.'

* * *

"His eyes are moving!" There was a vague, rhythmic pressure against his chest. Followed by a familiar voice, one that seemed to be calling out to him. But from where were these sounds coming from? He simply couldn't tell. Though, he couldn't shake the feeling there was something extremely _important_ on the other side of the dream, through which he could only glimpse at lights and colours.

"Come on! Wake up, wake up… _you have to_ _wake up!"_

Shad choked suddenly.

He felt water coming up out of his nose and mouth and he turned to the side to expel it, feeling entirely wretched. He then noticed the smooth, cold feeling of stone beneath his hands as he took in his first, _desperate_ gasps of air. He wondered where on earth he could possibly be… before his eyes opened to a green and yellow green shape sitting over him. Touching him with those same, rough hands.

"… L… Link?"

"Shad! Goddesses… I thought I'd killed you!" The swordsman began to laugh, wiping tears out of his eyes. After that he collapsed onto the tiles, overwhelmed with relief that this emergency was over. "I'm so sorry, Shad! I didn't mean for that to happen! It was my fault… _I'm sorry."_

"… Link, what is going on?" the scholar murmured as he sat up, draping his hand over the younger man's shoulders in support. "Are we… dead, per chance?"

Upon adjusting his glasses and glancing around the room, he found himself admiring the intricate carvings on the walls, which flowed synchronically into each other like the shape of the wind. Next, he noticed that base of the building was made of some kind of smooth, polished granite, though curiously light in colour. Beams of gold lined the skeleton of the building and his eyes were drawn to a bench nearby, upon which several familiar items were displayed, such as potions, arrows and bombs.

And then, he shouted in panic.

 _"WH-WHAT_ _in all of the realms?!"_ Shad gasped, nearly falling on top of Link as he lurched backwards.

To their side he saw something that looked almost like a Cuccoo in shape and stature - and totally covered in yellow feathers - if not for its tiny face that nearly resembled a human. The creature's eyes gleamed with red as it stared back at him, tilting its head with an apparent curiosity.

"I say, this one is rather lively for one who was unconscious not so long ago!" This comment had come from _another_ one of the creatures, who was perched on the bench beside the goods.

"Link, there are these… _strange creatures_ all around us in this room! Do you not see them?! Wh-Why… aren't you reacting?"

"If a little bit rude, unfortunately. Although, one could be forgiven if it is their first contact with the Oocca tribe. We haven't seen your kind up here in centuries!"

Shad stared right into the face of Ooccoo, who regarded the flustered Hylian some metres away from her side. They blinked at each other in wonderment. Equally curious. Though, the scholar struggled to maintain his composure, as there was something deeply unsettling about that tiny humanesque face on a bird's body.

"Pardon my shouting, but are **you** perhaps… the last, surviving members of the Oocca?" he enquired, taking a moment to reign in his emotions. At the very least, the critter before him appeared to be intelligent beyond compare to any of the other animals on the surface. Except, perhaps Louise.

"Indeed, that is what I am!" the fellow being nodded.

"… Goddesses, they… they just seem SO different from the pictures and illustrations! Could this really be true? To put it colloquially, I-I'm… well, _I'm rather a_ _fan."  
_  
"And I am pleased to see that you are also fluent in the Hylian word. This must be the default language for those who look like you, yes? Could you imagine if this were not the case? What a pain, that would be!"

"…!" _  
_  
Link watched as something clicked into place in Shad's mind, betrayed by his eyes that lit up excitedly. He cleared his throat. And then, he began to speak in some _incomprehensible_ language, using strange sounds and inflections that seemed beyond spelling. Immediately, Ooccoo flapped her wings and began to mirror the language back to him. The exchange went on, with only minor pauses in which the scholar considered his next response.

"Uh, wow!" Link praised.

Even stranger, Shad seemed to have switched dialects halfway through, into something that had sounded much more decipherable and _almost_ familiar. The Oocca behind the counter spoke up next, eliciting an amused chuckle from the scholar. Was it traditional Zoran? Link could barely tell, as those books had always been a rarity in his village growing up. Though apparently, that had _not_ been the case up here.

"Sarqso," he said a grateful nod, switching languages for a third time. "We are ever so grateful for your assistance!"

'Gotta say, even I'm a little impressed,' Midna hummed. 'Good job on bagging this one, Link. Beauty fades.'

"Shad! What did they say to you?" Link asked him, excitedly.

"Well first of all, they've agreed to be interviewed once I can find a place to dry my books! Which shouldn't be any problem up here, _apparently_ there are violent gusts of wind due to the presence of a winged dragon. Who knew that the Oocca would be so affable? I wonder how long they've been up here-"

"Wait, so you _know_ about the dragon, then?" he cut in, unable to hide the concern on his face. "And you're… alright with that? You're not mad that I brought you up here?"

"Please, Link. There is no use in fretting over such things! Vicious as it may be." Shad smirked. This had come from the same man who nearly crumpled over in anguish upon meeting the hero, after quipping at his outfit in the streets.

"These are heavily reinforced buildings that have outlasted time itself! Therefore, we should be safe indoors. The most difficult task will be condensing all of the information I receive into a single book. _Blast it,_ I knew I should've brought _more_ materials with me!"

"… Oh… yeah, haha."

Although Link was thankful for Shad's unshakable enthusiasm, this still left one outstanding problem for him to deal with. _Slaying_ the dragon. Even worse, slaying a monster that had the power to fly away with him on its back or throw him off into the abyss, giving rise to his worst instinctive fears. And there was little other conceivable evidence to suggest that anything else in the Sky had been corrupted, beyond the emergence of this new, terrifying beast.

All signs pointed to the dragon as being the source of the Mirror Shard.

"Oh, and before we go," Shad began. He climbed to his feet and reached out to help Link off the floor, totally ambivalent to the fact that he'd nearly drowned mere minutes ago. "Apparently there is a Citadel some walking distance away outside, which has been locked in lieu of the attacks. Ooccoo would like to accompany us there."

"I'm afraid that given the circumstances, it won't be much of a tour!" she relayed. "I'm terribly worried about the others. I wonder how many survivors there are?"

"Is everything _alright,_ old boy? You still seem a little… out of sorts."

Without realising it, Link had been staring intently into the wall, dreaming of all the possible ways that this mission could go wrong. "Apart from you nearly drowning? … It's fine." He hesitated, before holding out his hat for Ooccoo to jump into and hide. Just like old times. "It's gonna be wild once we get outside, especially if that thing catches us. Are you ready then, Shad?"

"Of course."

Sensing this trepidation in the younger man, the scholar squeezed Link's hand to reassure him as they departed for the world outside. This earned a smile from the mentally exhumed swordsman. And then together, they pushed through the heavy metal door, out and into the harsh sunlight.

* * *

After looking around for the first time, Shad squeezed onto Link even harder with excitement, basking in the otherworldliness of the scene around them.

They were surrounded by a group of floating islands, which were buffeted heavily in the breeze, turning a variety of panels and fans that seemed to be propelling them into place. The atmosphere was so bright that it forced Shad to squint as he observed the buildings, noticing the same white-bricked motifs and domed architecture throughout the province. Pools of water dotted paths of overgrown grasses and vines, with some of them trickling like rivers, flowing down into the world below.

The clouds around them burned brightly, like bunches of silver cotton in the sun, diminished only by the endless stretch of azure across the sky. It would have been flawless if not for the plague numbers of Kargaroks that circled menacingly overhead.

"It's _beautiful,"_ Shad breathed. "Utterly majestic."

Seeing the scholar's reaction to this place compelled the swordsman into a grin, pushing whatever anxieties he clung to into the recesses of his mind. "You really think so?"

"Oh dear, it appears as though I might be having _a moment-"_ Shad confessed, facing away to obscure his reaction.

"Sorry but we've gotta keep it moving. It's not safe," Link replied, wearing a gentle smile as he caught the look in his eyes. "But Shad… I'm so glad that you're here. This was almost worth the land."

"… Oh no, Link! I'd completely forgotten! This place must be awful for you considering how high up we are! I hadn't even considered-"

One of the violent gales Shad had warned him about suddenly tore across the strip. Link gasped as he literally clung to the scholar for dear life, his heart pounding in his ears.

 _"It's… ALRIGHT!_ _I'll be alright… as long as I can't see what's down there… but don't move!"_

They waited an agonising minute for the breeze to die down. Once it finally did, the scholar paused for a moment to fix his hair and then they continued toward the citadel, treading carefully along the grass as they pushed on. Upon closer inspection, Link had also noticed that several of the stonewalls - which ran along most of the paths in this place - were decayed beyond repair, hitting him with a wave of nausea at the prospect of being blown off the edge.

He gripped even tighter onto the scholar's arm, feeling horribly embarrassed that Shad, of all people, had seen him panicking in the middle of an assignment. He'd hoped that the rest of the Resistance wouldn't hear about this later given all of the other, far more favourable stories about him floating around in the bar.

"I daresay that these gusts might not be such a problem with the two of us," Shad chuckled, delighting in the attention.

 _'LINK! Watch where you're going!'_ Midna shouted into his ear.

A red and black striped Baba Serpent slithered up and out of the tall grasses in front of them, hissing and snapping its jaws. A blue, forked tongue flickered out through its teeth, tasting the air.

"Get back!" Link warned, his voice jumping as he held the scholar at bay. He knew just how terrible those needle-sharp fangs felt wrapped around the midsection of his body and it spurred him into moving backwards. But a split second delay was all it took for the Serpent to lurch forward and attach itself onto his leg. It imbedded itself hungrily into his shin, teeth piercing through the swordsman's clothing with ease.

"AGHHH!"

In a clumsy display that betrayed his usual sharpness, Link fell backwards, catching bundles of grass with his hands as the Serpent tried to drag him closer. Its mouth was like a cavern of hooks, inescapable for anything smaller than a human. But what panicked him most of all was the very real prospect of being dragged over the edge, more so than having his body crunched in those jaws. It was the only thing stopping him from reaching for his sword.

The hero found himself losing the battle to keep himself tethered as the grass slipped further out of his fingers, taunting him with the death he feared most.

When suddenly, _SMACK -_ the Clawshot punched straight into the creature's mouth.

Link shook his leg free and scrambled to his feet. He took advantage of the moment to cut the monster down, slicing its head clean off the stalk and then slashing the remaining fodder into strips. The Serpent's hissing and clicking subsided as the rest of the plant then burned away, curdling under the steel that had severed its head.

The swordsman slowly turned to face his more studious counterpart, wearing the face of a man who was floored.

"You… you _shot_ it."

"I did." Shad swallowed, his breathing erratic. "It grabbed onto your leg and I just could not bear to _watch it_ , so I… uh…"

"How did you know to do that?"

"I observed you using it once before, at the lake," Shad smirked, holding the Clawshot out in both hands. "And it just seemed a wasted opportunity _not_ to, while it was distracted. Though I do hope that bite isn't too serious, old boy. It looked dreadfully painful."

"Ah… haha. They don't normally grab me like this. It's cause I was distracted-" Link immediately cut himself off, not wanting to offend the beautiful man at his side. Or give Midna the satisfaction of being right. "Um, what I mean is… thank you. Seriously. That was quick thinking."

"Does it hurt?"

"It's nothing. I've got tonnes of scars and burns already. Maybe some frostbite on my legs," he laughed, stopping himself before the questions became too numerous.

 _'… I was hoping you might say yes, so that I could kiss it better.'_

Shad bit down onto the side of his mouth, stopping himself before he would ever say something so unprofessional in the field. He then went to strap the Clawshot back onto Link's belt, before the younger man pushed it back into his hands.

"Here. Use it for now." He closed his hand on top of Shad's, his face brimming with confidence. "I can cut down anything if you hit it first. If that wouldn't turn your stomach, that is. Some of the monsters can get a bit uh, messy."

"You are really willing to trust me with this?" Shad blinked, wondering when his peers had begun to regard him as a fighter. "I am not much in the way of combat. But I… would be honoured to do so."

"Just keep those glasses on when you fire! It packs a punch," the hero teased.

After a relatively peaceful walk, they finally reached the door to the City, where the pair breathed a collective sigh of relief. An overwhelming shadow of suspense lingered over the building before them, mostly due to the fact that whatever was in there hadn't been encountered by humans in their era. Link bit onto his lip, nervous, despite his familiarity to the hidden shadows of Hyrule.

"Link, everything is going to be fine," Shad said, reading the faraway look in his eyes.

"Stay close to me once we're in there, alright? I've made promises to people that you'd come back in one piece-"

But then, the winds picked up again. The fan structures surrounding them shuddered loudly under their might. Although they were mostly sheltered against the City doors, the two men failed to escape the ear-splitting **shriek** that assaulted them through the air.

Suddenly - coming _far too close_ for comfort - a great dragon swept across the sky, a fleeting burst of red wings and talons that glinted like polished onyx. It swooped mere inches above the path they'd only just traversed, before the dragon powered itself upward. It was fast. Angry at their intrusion. And it flapped with such ferocity that the humans below were buffeted in the blast.

"Ooccoo! _Get the door!"_ Link urged, relinquishing the tiny creature from the protection of his hat.

"Oh, good gracious!" She flapped madly, scattering yellow feathers in the air as she fussed with the City key.

Shad couldn't look away as he witnessed the dragon charging towards the delicate paths that bridged the surrounding islands, failing to clear the grounds as it smashed deliberately through them. These remnant stretches of earth linking the City together were no more, and they tumbled down into the clouds below, forever removed from their homeland. "That thing!" he gasped. "It appears to be actively _destroying_ this place. How DARE you!"

The scholar's shout bounded off the building, flying upwards and taunting the terrible creature that circled above them.

"Shad, the door's open! We have to go-"

"… HOW DARE YOU DESTROY THIS CITY?! YOU VILE THING… YOU FIEND!"

"Goddesses, what are you doing?! _It's a dragon!"_

It suddenly occurred to Link that Ashei had warned him about this behaviour.

However, after multiple attempts had been made on their lives, along this deceptively beautiful stretch of road, Link was no longer in the mood to mess around. He latched onto Shad's shoulder and hauled him into the building, just as the dragon tilted its head and plummeted down toward the source of the noise. Their scuffle caught the attention of several Kargaroks, which began to hover menacingly around the door.

 _"It heard you!"_

"I most sincerely hope that it DID!" Shad argued back, his voice trembling with fury as they stumbled through the entrance to the citadel. It drew the attention of the several Oocca who were gathered about the room. But their interruption was short lived and the creatures scattered. Upon seeing the chaos outside, they began to hide themselves behind the decaying structures of the building.

The dragon flapped its wings beyond the door, leering in at the two humans with its dark, incongruous eyes. More distracting were the enormous jaws that protruded from its face, with rows of jagged fangs and a forked tongue that curled in the air around it. Instinctively, Link's eyes darted over it for any areas of weakness, finding only that there were curious flashes of red beneath the dark chassis plating its body, matching the colour of its wings. Upon closer inspection, he also noticed something strange about the tail…

"LEAVE THIS PLACE AT ONCE, YOU MISCREANT!" Shad warned, momentarily stunning the Kargaroks with the Clawshot. Arrows whistled into view from where the hero stood, felling them within the blink of an eye.

"Get DOWN!" Link commanded. The dragon drew its head back. He lunged for the door as a jet of white-hot flame came pouring out of the dragon's jaws, curtailed only by the wall of impenetrable metal that came crashing down. He could still feel the heat from the other side as he leaned against it, his eyes locked angrily with the scholar.

"What the hell's gotten into you up here?!" He fought to catch his breath, looking wilder than ever in his frazzled state. Crashing into a bed of water, being thrown around in the wind and then being attacked by a carnivorous plant had taken its toll on his appearance.

"… Shad, you're crazy!"

"I simply HAD to give it a piece of my mind!" the scholar snapped. "Did you not see how much damage it's caused in the short time we've been here? Imagine if such a thing were to be left unchecked! Why, there'd be nothing left!"

"You need to be more careful!"

"We were perfectly _safe_ in here, were we not?" Shad picked himself up off of the ground and levelled with Link, their voices echoing in the otherwise quiet chamber. "… Am I to stand idly by while this city is destroyed?"

"Look, we've only been here for five minutes and EVERYTHING is trying to kill you! You can't go around insulting every dangerous creature we come across!"

The dragon emitted another **screech** from outside before it finally flew off, its wings thundering in the wind as it passed.

"Well, Link, I did not come all this way to be scared," Shad sighed, lowering his voice back down to a reasonable level. The two were now face to face, huddled against the wall in the corner of the room. Gradually, the sharp glint in the hero's eye dwindled down, his gaze softening, as he took in a deep breath.

"Neither did _I,"_ he chastised.

Ending the argument, the scholar gripped instinctively onto Link's shoulders. And then, he pulled him onto his lips.

The initial movement was too abrupt for Link to have thought it really _were_ coming from Shad but the kiss itself was entirely different. It was delicate. Soothing. Both of these, in equal measure, as their fingers met and tangled together. Embarrassingly, he'd failed to stifle a moan in response. He knew _exactly_ what the scholar was doing to win him over but his response only urged him on. Shad's soft lips pried his mouth open just a _little_ more, deepening the encounter in a manner he refrained from doing before.

Neither knew how this chaos lasted against the wall, before they finally broke away, Shad catching his breath as he'd done so. The fight was now thoroughly drained out of his eyes.

"Wow, I… can't believe you _did_ that to shut me up." Link laughed before he moved in to ruffle Shad's hair. It happened to be in an even worse state than his. "… Maybe we should fight more often, if that's what it takes to get you going?"

"S-Sorry, Link, I…" He fumbled, turning bright red as he faced away to collect himself. Never in his life had he grabbed onto somebody so possessively and the guilt in doing so forced him to question his conduct. "… Goddesses, I should have asked. I _always_ ask. Indeed, I have behaved rashly up here."

"Hey, hey. It's fine. I mean, you're definitely overreaching when it comes to the monsters but there's nothing else to be sorry for. I… really enjoyed that."

After a brief pause, the scholar then turned back around. He adjusted his glasses with a coy glint in his eye. "… Well, if we are to die up here then let us have no regrets, yes?" he smirked, attempting to diffuse the situation with humour.

"I can work with that." Link blushed as he caught his bearings once again. If nothing else, he was determined to get them through the city so that he could live to remember such an encounter.

"Shall we continue on, then? I simply cannot wait to see the rest of this place."

* * *

Despite another unfortunate incident, in which Link was horrified to discover that the lower areas of the city were prone to crumbling under the weight of humans and then falling into _the void,_ the pair endeavoured to spend the rest of the journey sticking to the higher reaches of the City.

They managed to cover most of the ground safely and efficiently, occasionally taking the time to stop and marvel at how the Oocca defied gravity by walking vertically along the walls. Breaks were also allowed for Shad to scrawl into his notebook, chatting to the various citizens as he went.

"Remember, they're more than happy to help us out if we get stuck, old boy."

"Even if they lose all their feathers in the process?" Link cringed, having already grabbed one of them in a panic when the floor started to give way.

"Well, we are somewhat _famous_ up here now, if that helps you to feel better about it?" The scholar assured. He'd also found himself laughing at the absurdity of the fact that these creatures were _also_ studying him.

Eventually, they arrived at a spacious hallway with an incredibly high ceiling, which was obviously central to the rest of the ruin. The elaborate room broke off into three directions and held a large metal chandelier, which hung conspicuously overhead. The swordsman peered up at it and considered the four crumbling columns that surrounded it, overgrown with the same thick vines that had claimed much of the City's walls.

"This must be where we part ways, yes?" Shad smiled, breaking the hero out of his thoughts.

'He _reads minds!_ That's how he's been able to hear me all this time!' Midna gasped dramatically into Link's ear.

"Don't be silly!"

"Silly, am I?" the scholar echoed, his tone curious. Link laughed in an effort to recover from his slip-up.

'But seriously Link, I've been trying to get you to ditch him for the past hour. We can't keep on like this and the rest of the dungeon is only going to get harder. You'll be doing both of yourselves a favour.'

"Oh, um… what I meant, was that I wasn't planning on splitting away from you so soon," he then explained. "But this area looks pretty safe. Maybe that'd be best for both of us... and you can catch up on your notes? I might be gone a while but I'll check on you when I can."

Shad seemed to be glowing with endorsement as he took a seat upon the wide staircase that reached up towards the Northern door, admiring the intricate patterns that ran into the stonework. "Go, on," he beckoned. "I shan't get in the way of what you came here to do. But… Link?"

"Yes, Shad?"

"Please do be careful. _More_ so than an idiot scholar, trying to defend the discovery of their dreams from a fire-breathing beast. I recognise that there is a _terrible_ double-standard at play here but you will promise me this, won't you?"

"Alright. I promise." He smiled, crouching down to give the scholar a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead before he departed to the Eastern wing. Suddenly, the prospect of traversing over ground that was prone to collapsing or clinging desperately onto the grates didn't seem so unbearable.

* * *

As evening touched the clouds, they began to transform from pearly white into dark, billowing sails of navy, laced with brilliant red from the dying sun. The upper reaches of the atmosphere melted into a deep and flawless indigo. After that, the stars burst into view, dusting the horizon with a silvery light that enveloped the City.

With all the hours of the day gone and his notebook filled to the last page after his interview with Ooccoo, Shad had since taken the time to simply gaze upon the world around him, though curiously, he'd noted that by some magic the one below were impossible to glimpse from up here. He sat along an edge that opened out into a window and looked upon the celestial expanse with pure ardour.

 _'I never thought that such a wondrous thing would be possible for me, and yet…'_

His thoughts were interrupted by the jingling of a chain. His heart fluttered as he searched around the room, wondering where it could have possibly come from. Perhaps this was his cue to hide.

"Hey!" came a familiar voice from above. The scholar turned his gaze up and into the ceiling, where he saw the hero, suspended in the air from a great chandelier.

"Great Goddesses, Link!" he gasped. "How in the blazes did you get up there?"

He watched with awe as the swordsman shot a second instrument onto the nearest set of vines, pulling himself pillar to pillar until, he stood next to Shad upon the windowsill. The scholar inspected the new Clawshot in his hands, comparing it to the original before he gasped at the fact that it seemed to be identical down to the last very last etching.

"It wasn't easy but I found a way up there to the dragon." The hero laughed, nervously. "Fighting it in the dark wouldn't the smartest idea though, so I'm waiting until morning to deal with it."

"You truly intend on fighting that ungodly creature _at sunrise?"_ Shad reiterated, the corner of his mouth twitching with shock. "And you aren't particularly worried about it? Good heavens Link, were _all_ of your other assignments like this?"

"… Sort of. This is why I kept everyone at a distance, Shad. It was always too dangerous to anyone else to get involved. There could be a dragon. There could also be an out-of-control snow sorceress. It's been a very unpredictable journey."

The scholar mulled the following question over in his head. Of course, he didn't want to seem ungrateful, but the sheer absurdity of being taken along when he was the only member of the Resistance who couldn't fight was fast becoming apparent to him. "Then, if it would not be too discourteous of me to ask, what makes _me_ so different? I carry no delusions over my capabilities. And I am certain that this was not for the purposes of a date."

"Well, um, _my feelings_ aside… I know you've been chasing this place longer than anyone," Link admitted. "Before all the problems even started happening in Hyrule. And then you were there for Ilia, so I guess... I feel like I owed you. Oh, and I'm a lot stronger than I used to be. In the beginning this would've been impossible but now?"

Against his usual hesitant nature, Link grabbed his shoulder and then held his gaze, beaming with an inner confidence that he'd always carried yet rarely shown.

"How did the others perceive your methods?" Shad found himself wondering. "Your… secrets?"

"Auru and Rusl stepped aside. Intentionally, I think. They never asked for an explanation but they definitely knew that there was a lot more going on… and that I'd be better off working alone."

"And our iron lady?"

"Is that an official nickname?" Link smirked. "Yeah. She was difficult."  
 _  
_Shad chuckled, having made himself all too familiar with Ashei's merciless work ethic. "I recall you two having problems in the beginning. But still, old boy, she's taken a shine to you faster than anyone! It was actually rather _painful_ for me to watch."

"That fight we had really was my fault," Link admitted, sheepishly. "I hid the truth from her… like I've been doing to you all this time. Not everyone can be happy working under these conditions. But Shad, I wouldn't trade the support you've given me for the world. And um, Ashei, she's… one of a kind. You're lucky to have her around. I wish we'd all met sooner."

"Indeed. I could not imagine things otherwise."

Another hour or so passed, in which the two watched the skies together, drinking in the quiet of the evening. But eventually the swordsman began to rub his eyes and he'd failed to stifle a yawn that the scholar also found contagious.

"We've had a really big day," Link murmured, inspecting the run-down leather of his gloves. "… Did you wanna try and find somewhere to rest?"

"Yes, let's." Shad smiled as he took his hand, leading him away from the starry ledge.

"I was also thinking that maybe we could… sleep next to each other, if that'll make roughing it easier on you?"

"I-I would like that. Very much."

Spending the night on the ground without so much as a blanket seemed like an incredibly rough prospect for one that was so accustomed to a bed indoors, and it the irony hadn't been lost on Link that it was now _his turn_ to induct the other man into his sleeping routine. Shad hadn't seemed bothered by this in the slightest.

He curled up enthusiastically into one of the nooks beside a fallen column and then wrapped his arms around the younger man, as though to cushion him against the stone. Link pressed against his chest in return, nestling his head into the area beneath his neck.

"Thank you for choosing to trust me, Shad. With this investigation and… all the other stuff, too," he said quietly.

"You don't need to thank me, old boy. I would follow you anywhere to repay your kindness. Always."

Another brief silence followed, in which the two wordlessly enjoyed each others company and the swordsman felt the other man's heart racing stealthily against his head. However, the restless fidgeting of their hands and feet suggested that _actually_ falling asleep was still some hours away.

"What are you thinking about now?" Shad prompted, smiling at him through the dark.

"… Ilia," Link confessed. And then he stifled a noise, embarrassed. "I know she's doing better since we found her memories. But... I still think about her in town, every night that I'm not there."

The scholar knotted his fingers in the swordsman's hair as he held him, considering the much-improved status of the young girl back home. "I've never known a more gentle and courageous soul. To have survived so much, and to still care for others and work as hard she has… it is quite simply put, amazing."

"You think she's cute too, don't you?" Link teased.

"Indisputably," he agreed. "Would it be _too_ venturesome to ask for the story of how you two met? I am aware that… the circumstances might be rather heavy for you to recount. However, I do find myself curious over such a fated encounter."

"I'll tell you about it. But only if you tell me the story of how you and Ashei met." Link grinned. "I tried to ask her once and she laughed in my face."

"Oh dear. I suppose we are going for total embarrassment here!" Shad laughed. "Very well. Allow me to tell you of the time in which I offered to buy a drink for a mysterious young lady at the bar, only for Telma to turn around and eagerly introduce her as our new associate. I nearly ended up with it thrown over my head for erroneously assuming that we were, in fact, waiting for a man."

The swordsman stifled a laugh of his own, finding his thoughts all but vanishing away from the matter of the dragon.

"She stopped once she realised how handsome you were though, right?"

"Ah… if only that had ever worked," he chuckled.

* * *

 _'Interesting.'_

The cold light of the spirits robbed the bedroom of any familiarity, silently chilling the air and freezing even the specs of dust that floated into proximity. Icy fractals began to form along the windowpane, which were unheard of in this part of the world, lulling any who were susceptible to the cold into a deep slumber.

 _'Very interesting.'_

He always visited in the brief window that existed before dawn, sensing a stillness in the air unlike any other time of day. And it just so happened that _now_ was quieter than ever before, allowing him to work unfettered, to his heart's content.

 _'These strange people he keeps around… he runs in and out of here, using every last one of them to further his plans.'_

Green burned away into red as she stared forward into the mirror, sitting dutifully upon the floorboards where her knees jutted against the hard ground.

 _'And you, my pet… you must be so tired of being the scapegoat. The false motivation for his power… surely you realise by now that you could've never belonged in his world? And that this has all been some great accident...'_

"Link…" she whimpered.

The lights in her eyes danced with the memories as they came flooding back, flashing through her mind and leaving the body in the form of whispers. She'd seen many things of the orphaned boy who stumbled into their village all those years ago.

There were also times when he felt tempted to reach out, to touch the face of the sweet girl that had helped him so far… but such things could only ever be fantasies from beyond the glass. _  
__  
'However, you've proven very useful to me. In all the time you've spent with them, you've seen so much!'_

"Link… please… _stop_ it…" she begged.  
 _  
_Her pale skin was luminous against the void, which began to shrink away as the shadow left her with a departing smile. Her memories slowed and soon everything was dark… as dark as it _ought_ to have been in Castle Town at this hour.

 _'Shhh. Won't you be a good girl and rest now? Until tomorrow-'_

But the yowling of a strange creature from outside of the room interrupted him.

And then, the door burst open to reveal another familiar face - a striking girl he had never seen in person but who he recognised _well,_ in all her wild fury. Her dark eyes burned with anger as she breathed hard against the cold, staring into the face of the most inexplicable thing she had ever seen.

 _'… Ah. I was wondering when I might finally meet you, Miss Ashei.'  
_  
Before the monster could say anything else, her sword whirled towards the mirror and shattered it into pieces, spraying broken glass all over the room. She was sure that she'd caught the smile on his face as he disintegrated, his unnatural connection to the room now severed in all of the fragments.

* * *

A violent crack of lightning and thunder woke Shad the next morning, who then snuck himself out of the citadel, fearing what he might discover once he braved the storm outside.

Without the Clawshot to pull himself across the island, he could only stand upon the precipice and watch as the dragon - now stripped away to nothing but its scaly, crimson hide - struggled in the air with the swordsman clinging onto its back. His sword glinted in the lightning strikes as it came down, again and again, piercing into the most vulnerable area on the creature's back.

Thick jets of flame, which were blue flowing into orange, erupted sporadically out of the dragon's mouth as it let out another **_screech_**. And then it flapped violently, higher and higher above the island, in a final act of desperation to kill the hero with its fall. With haste, blurred by panic, Link hooked himself onto the nearest pillar and out of harm's way before the beast came crashing down from the heavens. The scholar gasped as he heard it slam hard into the island, all but disappearing into a scatter of shadow fragments, which pulled towards some unknown centre of gravity.

Shivering with adrenaline, the hero climbed back down to receive the last piece of the Twilight Mirror, hoping to _finally_ open the bridge between worlds and put an end to the war. But before he did so, his eyes combed over the citadel and then locked onto Shad, who stood alone in the rain, some hundreds of metres away.

'Link, we need to hurry to the Mirror Chamber,' Midna reminded him. 'Get your boyfriend out of here safely and then we'll talk. There's something… _important_ I need to tell you.' _  
_  
"Damnit, I… I really didn't want him to see me like that."

'What, effortlessly slaying a dragon? Even in my world, people go for that kind of thing. You've done well.'

Eventually, the rain whittled down. He began the descent.

And then he found himself in Shad's arms, whose eyes of deep indigo were struck with a profound sadness. Upon closer inspection he'd also noticed that some of the hero's hair and the areas where his forearms met his tunic were burnt in the attack. He pressed his lips to Link's forehead before crushing him in the embrace, wondering how he could've fought like this - _alone_ \- for so long.

"Does it hurt?" Shad had asked, quietly.

"… Not as much with you here," Link smiled.

* * *

 **AN:** And that's a wrap on our latest arc! Things are gonna get a little "darker" as we head towards the end of the game. ;) These chapters might also need some extra time to get right but I promise they are on their way!

 _Potential spoilers ahead -_ if you have any concerns about the ending, I will also give notice ahead of time that there are no character deaths but there will be injuries. We also end up with poly undertones in the ships (mixture of platonic, romantic and sexual).

Many thanks and hope you enjoyed! :)


	22. The Evil You Know

**AN:** Apologies for the delay on this one, my health took a nosedive but now we're back. :)

Before we get started I also wanted to clarify my age head-canons for this story: Link is 17, Shad and Ashei are both 19 and Ilia is 18. Shad and Ilia are actually closer in age than they are to Ashei... and Link is our youngest member of the group.

We're entering into the final leg of the conflict now... and so, this is our last little bit of drama and fluff before the main event. Hope you enjoy~

* * *

 **Chapter 22 - The Evil You Know**

Stepping into the heart of the Twilight Realm was an especially odd sensation as a human. The skies burned, flickering with shadows that would've unsettled any creature of the light. It reminded Link of the woods at night, concealing the ever-present threat of wolves and bears. And the air itself seemed far heavier here, choked by rolling clouds of amaranthine purple and vermilion. It was, in spite of its otherworldliness, beautiful.

Though he felt painfully out of place here, Link caught himself admiring the towering architecture of the palace, wondering what Shad might have made of such an alien creation. He drew similarities between the cool green that powered through its buildings and interiors to the many luminous torches of Hyrule Castle Town. Closer still, it reminded him of the veins that ran along Midna's ears in her corporeal form.

He frowned, stealing glances at his shadow whenever he could. Midna had shared her identity only moments ago, and it wounded him when she asked to remain hidden during their visit. Unable to face her citizens. Scared. And ashamed. But he knew that behaving anything less than his usual self would've shamed her more. So, they continued on through the palace catacombs, making their way toward a single and rare source of power. Until Zant could be dispatched they would traverse its shadows together.

After swinging his sword at a couple of Shadow Keese, the hero looked to the scaffolding on his upper right. He pulled out the Clawshot and zipped himself over clouds of darkness that churned below, pursuing a mysterious location at the end of the hallway. "Link, we're headed toward the holding cells for the palace," Midna warned. "… I almost don't want to look. Something tells me that Zant set them all free."

"Anything in this area we could use?" Link wondered. He was frustrated to learn that the cells were housed very high up, closer to the ceiling than the ground. Sure enough, all of the doors had been left wide open. A silence permeated the air.

"I doubt it. More importantly, if all my prisoners really were released, then they could still be anywhere in the palace. These were _powerful_ magic users who sought to regress us back into the dark days. And they'd attack you on sight… so be on your guard, Link."

Link hooked himself ontp the grates that ran along the upper walls before turning around to face into the prison. Though it was futile to check at this point, and he was unsure whether to be relieved or _alarmed,_ the cells were indeed empty.

"Damnit. I'm sorry, Midna."

 _"I knew it. That reckless idiot!"_ She cursed, loudly. "Some of these prisoners were there from a time before even _I_ took the throne… and I'm guessing he was planning on using them to hold over the Light Realm once it fully assimilated into the Twilight. The cheat's low on allies."

"… Would they really listen to him, though? I mean, he's just some despot, right?" Link asked. He used the second Clawshot to pull himself over the abyss and onto the opening platform.

"Who can say? He's _strong,_ which isn't to be sniffed at where these types are concerned. Recapturing them is going to be a real pain when I get this place back."

Overridden with curiosity, Link explored each of the rooms. His blue eyes flickered around in the gloom and caught much of the same barrenness throughout - austere furniture, minimal lighting, and incomprehensible scratches all along the ceiling. One of the cells had no blank space whatsoever and was covered in tallies that were dotted meticulously over the walls.

This room seemed different from each of the others. It was actually furnished and decorated. And discernibly larger in size. It looked, for all intents and purposes, like somebody's _home._

"Who was important enough for this one?" he frowned, glancing over the entirety of the room. He blinked, in awe. An orb containing the same green energy that ran through the palace, different from the Sol that Midna had asked him to look for, cast a ghostly light throughout the room. Illuminating a mirror, a desk and a small collection of books. Even stranger was the fact that it had all been left there, scattered around mid-project like the aftermath of Shad's writing sessions.

"… We called him the Interloper," the Twilight Princess murmured.

Link thumbed through the pages of a book, recalling the words of the Spirit Lanayru. He noticed that the Twili used a different language from the one he knew how to read.

"You mean?"

"That's right. He was one of the sorcerers who tried to control the Sacred Realm and got us into this whole mess. We never did manage to track down the others like him, though. Maybe they hid themselves and waited things out. Maybe they're different people now? I couldn't say." Midna sighed.

"And why does he deserve special treatment?"

"These trinkets in his room weren't any concession of mine! Even so, the fact remains that without him the Twilight Realm wouldn't exist as it does today. This is our history," she admitted, begrudgingly. "… Are we done here, Link? I don't think there's anything else we can do until we deal with Zant."

As the swordsman turned to walk away, he knocked one of the books from the desk onto the ground. "Damnit."

Not wanting to offend this apparently _ancient_ evildoer, who'd arranged his belongings in a certain way, Link retrieved it and went to place it back onto the nearby pile. He turned the book over to see where it had landed. And what he saw was so utterly bizarre that he found himself blinking, rapidly, in some futile attempt to ensure that he hadn't imagined it.

But there was no mistaking it. All of the detail was there - the small shape of her face, the feathery texture of her short hair, those clear, vibrant eyes staring off into the distance. Despite the unsettling coldness he'd etched into her expression… it looked like her. _It had to be her.  
_  
"Um. _Midna…?"_

"What is it, Link?" she sighed, exasperated.

"… Why the hell would there be drawings of Ilia on this guy's desk?"

* * *

Ilia leaned over a flower stall, admiring a particularly vibrant tower of pink snapdragons before she heard the echo of familiar hooves in the distance. Along with the surprised gasps of several people, shuffling out of the way before they might be trampled. "My apologies!" the voice rang from down the street. "Coming through! Uh… S-Sorry about that, good sir!"

"… Shad?" she gasped, feeling a pit of excitement in her stomach.

Hurrying away from the stall and towards the commotion, she looked up to see Epona striding proudly through the streets. Along with a familiar face, gripping onto the reigns for dear life. His glasses were crooked and his indigo eyes shot around with discomfort as the mare made her way through the traffic.

 _"Shad!"_

The scholar could vaguely recall the conversation he had with Link before he'd disappeared. He warned him that Epona responded a _little_ less eagerly to the command of anyone else, not that a novice would've been able to tell. However, the Ordonian had promised that she was a great judge of character and that he shouldn't have any issues getting home.

'Get him home safely, girl. He's important to me.'

The last thing either of them expected was for the horse to take on a mind of her own and deliver him to the very doorstep of his lodgings. Upon catching his reflection in the passing windows, Shad went still, barely able to recognise himself. He knew how wild this would have seemed to him a year ago and yet, here he was now, returning home like some great adventurer. With a binder full of thesis-forging notes to boot.

A familiar pair of green eyes flashed up at him through the crowd. Ilia ran towards the pair.

 _"Whoa there, girl!_ That's far enough!" she commanded Epona, holding both of her arms out in a stopping motion. "Shad, you need to pull on the reigns and pat her twice on the side of the neck!"

"A-Ah!" He fumbled around, following her instructions with haste.

"Is everything alright? Where's Link?" Her eyes widened with alarm as she took the reigns, inspecting them both for any signs of distress.

"Oh, Ilia! Link was perfectly… healthy when I last saw him. In fact, he said he had some urgent business to attend to while we wait for him in town," Shad conveyed, doing his best to mask the grave concerns he might've carried. There was a strange urgency in the swordsman's final embrace at the Lake. A lump formed in his throat as he remembered it.

"Well, that's a relief. I'm glad you're both alright. But then, what are you doing with Epona all the way out here? This is a residential zone!"

"There were multiple attempts to stop her!" Shad laughed, nervously. "Although she did slow down once we got through the gates. Perhaps she was just happy to see you? … As am I."

This comment seemed to smooth things over with Ilia. With a sigh of relief, the scholar finally climbed down, attempting to brush himself free of the copious amounts of horsehair that clung to his jacket. It took another minute or so for the street pavement to stop moving under his feet. She'd noticed before she held out her hand in support.

"Welcome home, silly." Ilia moved in to hug him with her free arm. "We've all missed you." Shad's arms pressed against the arch of her back as he returned the gesture. A moment of stillness passed, in which he enjoyed the sensation of the morning sun against his face. "It is delightfully good to see you, my dear."

"I have to admit, Epona leading _you_ around might be one of the funniest things I've ever seen…" Ilia admitted, stifling a giggle. "But you need to be more careful next time. It's not safe for her or anyone else in these narrow streets! I'll take her back to the stables so you can get settled."

"Oh, no. Please-"

"No arguing!" she interrupted, running a pale hand through Epona's white mane. "It's been so long and I never get to see her in this place. Isn't that right, girl?"

As the determined girl went to walk away, with Epona in tow, the scholar felt a jolt of fear. He seized, caught the throes of an epiphany. His hand lingered in the air where her shoulder was moments ago, his mouth failing to articulate more than a feeble attempt at catching her attention. However, his more discerning nature won. And he watched as Ilia slipped further away on the street. Of course, she hadn't seemed any different at face value. If anything, she came across even _more_ spirited than usual, especially as he watched her fussing over and grooming Epona.

It was Ashei's priority mail - the one that found its way to him mere moments after he'd touched down in Lake Hylia, asking him to come home _immediately_ , and nothing else - that alerted him to another possibility. She was not in the habit of wasting words, yet never before had she been so sparse with her information. Shad turned around and made his way to the bar, trepidation in every step.

* * *

"Good… morning?"

The last thing Shad expected to find as he walked in was Ashei slumped neatly against their meeting table, her head propped against one of her arms. She was fast asleep. The door chimes had failed to rouse her attention, and the scholar found himself shuffling the rest of the way into the room. He frowned, taking in the strangeness of the scenario before he ventured closer, tilting his head to catch a proper glimpse at her face.

Seeing the warrior anything short of alert and ready to go was an unnerving experience. She seemed so _gentle_ in her sleep, with her dark hair spilling over the desk and her thick lashes pressed against her cheek. To top it off, she snored so quietly that it was _nearly_ undetectable. Though he would have been crucified for saying so, this was undoubtedly the cutest thing he'd ever seen her do.

"Erm. Ashei?" the scholar roused, giving her a tentative nudge on the shoulder. Some instinctive part of him feared losing those fingers in the process but he had to put an end to it, having stared again for too long. "… Oh dear. Please tell me that you didn't drink Telma out of business."

Suddenly, her eyes flew open. Ashei drew a sharp breath and within a split second, whipped out one of the knives tucked into her armour, pointing it towards the source of the noise. The scholar promptly withdrew his hand, stumbling backwards as his heart leapt into his throat.

"… You're here." Ashei blinked. She looked vulnerable for a moment longer before she sheathed her weapon, ignoring the terror in her friend's eyes. "It's about time you got back. Didn't you get my letter?"

"Yes! G-Good morning!" he stammered. "I'm afraid that there was… quite the detour during my research trip. And I actually have some rather big news to share. Though, I imagine that yours ought to take precedence given the urgency of your letter, yes?"

The warrior pinched the bridge of her nose and pried herself up, mechanically, regarding him with the most humourless expression. "Is yours good news or bad news?"

"Excellent news. The _best_ sort, actually."

"Let's end on that note. Walk with me," Ashei decided. She got up and made for the door, wanting for privacy even though Telma had gone shopping and there was nobody else at the bar. Knowing better than to press her in this state, Shad followed the warrior's lead.

Their short journey to the central square was wordless and the scholar caught himself looking over his friend with concern, wondering at the strangeness of her behaviour. Something in her manner seemed off and she wore a mask of reservation. One that clashed against her usual quips and self-assured poise.

Eventually, they stopped at the fountain in the centre of town, touching upon the pavement where they'd first witnessed the magic barrier tearing across the sky and over the castle. At this point, the imprisoned castle had become something of a novelty to many of the townspeople, who bustled around, carrying various goods to and from the market. Rebelling against their apparent doom with contentment. Though it seemed foolish, the reality was that _these_ were the people the Resistance sought to protect.

The warrior took a deep breath before she spoke, eyeing the castle with a quiet fury.

"This might sound like it's coming out of nowhere. But… when you saw Link on your assignment, did he ever do anything that seemed weird to you, or…" she stopped short upon remembering that there was _nothing_ remotely normal about the handsome man in question. "I don't know. Evil?"

"Evil?" Shad repeated, looking utterly horrified. "What in Hylia's name is this about?! What could he have possibly done to warrant such defamation _\- from you, no less_ \- in the time that he's been gone?"

The warrior stared away into the distance, her uncertainty fathomless, until she looked up to face Shad. "Unless… maybe there's a **duplicate** of him out there?" she thought aloud. "Could be that someone powerful tried to copy Link's abilities and that abomination in the mirror was the result. He's a lot more than he lets on. Surely you've seen for yourself, yeah?"

"Excuse me. _What,_ pray tell, is all of this about a mirror?"

The scholar felt his anger begin to recede as he took in the warrior's version of events, hot feelings soon replaced with guilt. A terrible thing had happened in his absence. Something about the case stuck into his mind like a needle, bleeding him for ignoring the warning signs. He recalled the curtain that hung over the dresser Ilia's her room. Her bouts of insomnia. And the _intensity_ of her dreams, all of which had included Link. The shadows were there and he'd been blind to their depths. _  
_  
_"Please_ tell me that it didn't lay a hand on her." He swallowed. "Or on you, for that matter. I cannot help but to feel partially responsible here."

"We're fine. I smashed him to pieces." Ashei shrugged, eliciting a sigh of relief. "But Goddesses, it looked _just like him,_ with those wide eyes and that messy hair. When it spoke, it… knew my name. Like it had been waiting for me."

Shad pulled a particularly squeamish face as she recalled the monster's words, struggling to place his emotions.

"Rusl wanted to take Ilia home but I talked him out of it. She would've fought him every step of the way without getting to say goodbye to you or Link. And we've been busy planning the raid on the castle, which complicates things."

The scholar smiled a little for the first time during their conversation. "Found it difficult to resist the whims of our barmaid, did we?"

However, this was met with a familiar snort. "Hey, I'm not some soft idiot people can just bat their eyelids at," Ashei said, rolling her eyes. "I'm just being patient. Until we get more information on what that creature was, sending Ilia away isn't going to help us. Also, between you and me, she could probably do with some cheering up, yeah?"

Shad was glad for the change in the warrior's disposition as she switched back to her usual reasoning. Although, there was no getting around the fact that she knew how to hide her vulnerabilities well. The truth was, Ashei had grown very exhausted in their absence.

"We owe much to your diligence, Ashei. Truly. Words cannot express my gratitude," he offered quietly, eliciting another eye-roll.

"… Y'know, despite the fact that we were being spied on in our own headquarters."

"On that note, _I_ shall be handling the night watch henceforth," Shad declared. He placed a hand on Ashei's arm that she hadn't immediately brushed away. "And I have plenty of work to do, so don't you dare raise a fuss."

"You go on one adventure and you think you can order me around?" she laughed, thumping him on the chest.

"My dear Ashei, it might interest you to know that I am now _mostly_ immune to threats of physical violence."

After taking in the chaos of the market around them, enlivened by the music from a nearby cafe, the warrior rose soundlessly to her feet. Shad's face lit up with surprise as she offered to help him off the fountain ledge. "… I know you just got back but would you mind walking around some more?" she asked, a little self-consciously. "I wanna hear this 'excellent news' you've been carrying around."

"Not at all." He smiled. "I have quite the tale for you, in fact."

* * *

A balmy afternoon took hold of the city as the scholar divulged his tale of the Skies. Ashei had _balked_ at the suggestion of him attacking monsters or chastising a dragon that breathed fire. Perhaps the most astounding revelation of all was the fact that the City in the Sky was _more_ than an abstraction, more than some beautiful tale that existed in her friend's notes. It was a tangible place. A _real_ place, that lay hidden in the clouds above Hyrule. Though there was still so much for the Resistance to do, his story had put her concerns on hold, if only for a moment.

"I can't believe that it's real. And that you _went there_ and came back alive!" Ashei laughed, wearing the most surprised expression Shad had ever seen. He retrieved her flask from his coat pocket and she studied it in her hands, withholding the belief that it had always brought her luck on her travels.

 _"Of course it was real!_ That was the entire point of my research!"

"Not that I ever doubted you but… after all this time, it just started to feel like a concept, yeah?" she smirked. "Guess you can finally get your research verified and go on publishing as an authority. You've got this whole thing in the bag! Uh, congratulations. You earned it."

"I would not have made it without your support. You were my lifeline. You pushed me, when I was down on my luck. For that, I thank you," Shad smiled, fighting another blush. "Ah. There is also… more news."

And then, he hesitated. His eyes flitted about for a place to stop before he ushered the warrior over to a quiet spot of grass, overlooking one of the parks crammed into the Eastern suburbs. Spring was nearing its end and the days stretched longer and warmer at every instance.

Sensing the change in his tone, Ashei went still before she folded her arms and leaned against the nearest fence. "Go on."

"W-Well… there might not be an easy way for me to put this, really, but-"

"Come on, Shad. Just spit it out instead of dancing around it, yeah?"

"Alright then, uh. You see, Link and I… we discussed a couple of things during the assignment and we… um-" he stammered, his words shot by nerves.

"You're… together?"

"Well, intermittently speaking-" _  
_  
"What?" The warrior cracked her knuckles, her eyes darkening with anger. "Why the hell not? Is he stringing you along? Does he need his legs broken or-"

"W-Wow, this is really not where I'd pictured this conversation going!" Shad laughed, vaguely aware that he was clenching his hands to stop them from shaking. "My main concern was… well, h-how do _you_ feel about this? Is this not a… shock to hear about from your friend?"

"Link told me that he liked you before he left," she offered, unflinchingly. "And if you're into guys… then I'm glad things worked out for you. Won't find a better one around here. Fair warning though, if you hang out with him on the street _everyone_ starts gawking at you."

 _"Ah._ On that point. I must confess that I… don't have a specific type." He spoke in a low voice, finding himself unable to meet her eyes as he continued. "I find myself enamoured with people beyond the constraints of gender. If you catch my meaning? Though, I've kept this to myself for some time."

"Oh. Yeah? I… get it. Support you either way." She blinked. And then, she prodded him on the shoulder, _hard._ "Y'know what though, that bitchiness you pulled on me after Snowpeak looks way worse now. You really couldn't handle us being close, huh?"

"That was not my finest moment," Shad admitted. He shuffled on the spot and averted his gaze. Link had accepted his confession of jealousy with good humour, perhaps due to the fact that he _hadn't_ taken the brunt of it. He could only wonder what Ashei must have thought of him, now. "I let my pettiness get in the way of our accord. And despite my terrible behaviour, I always remembered what you said about putting yourself on the line for me."

The warrior froze, her jaw clenched shut. She wondered if he were about to bring up the rest of the horrifying incident or simply the words she had thrown, in that drunken haze against the tavern wall.

He hesitated before continuing. "Though I lacked the courage to tell you before, I would _always_ do the same for you if the situation arose. While I was out there on my assignment… I was reminded of how little I know of the world, beyond these town walls or my books. I was reminded of how different we are. Yet, I could not imagine a life without you in it," he said, softly. "There is still quite a deal more I would like to learn from you. If you'd be willing to put up with me."

"For starters, you shouldn't be putting yourself down like that. You're a _proficient_ man. An intelligent one, who follows through on his commitments," she scowled, looking away to hide the touch of colour on her cheeks. "… And I'll always have time for you, Shad. Things between us are good, yeah?"

"They are." He smiled. The dizzying realisation that swept over him now was a sense of pride and accomplishment. Finally, he was on equal footing with the skilful warrior. And it hadn't taken a single punch for him to get there.

"… So anyway, how _was_ the hook-up with Link?" Ashei smirked, startling the scholar with a devious tone. "Don't need any details. But I'd feel better about this whole crisis if it was worth it, for you."

It was his turn to blush furiously red. "It was, uh… _w-well…_ s-surely you must know how these affairs go, yes?"

"I might." She shrugged. "I have a strict policy, though. _Nobody_ knows about it unless it's on a first-hand basis."

"Oh? Not even me after all of this time?" Shad winked, but then he nearly choked, tripping over the inference he'd just made. "… Dear Goddesses, I did not mean for that to come out in a lecherous sort of manner."

To his immense relief, Ashei threw her head back and laughed. It was a rare sight, a beautiful one, especially lately with all the heaviness of the war weighing down upon their meeting table. "That would have to take a couple of drinks."

"Therein lies the problem, neither of us can stop at just a couple."

They made their way back to the bar as the sun dipped beneath the buildings, the crowds thinning. Though the barrier in the distance had only reminded Ashei of the terrible task ahead, she held her anxiety down, choosing to enjoy the break with Shad while it lasted.

"It feels good to be home," he admitted, deep eyes narrowing to match his smile. "Though, I suppose we will just have to wait for Link to return before we take any further action with Ilia. Perhaps he has some information on the matter that we do not."

"Likely," she agreed. And then she held open the door to the tavern. "Don't be afraid to tell her about you and lover-boy when we get back, either. Those two have been plotting out of your earshot for some time."

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Ashei spied the stranger stumbling in the dark along the main street, stopping only to take in the sight of Hyrule Castle. An act most of the people around here willingly abstained from. Her interest captured, she watched as he began to make way towards the bar, the green of his tunic flickering under the torch flames.

 _'It's him.'  
_  
As he ambled into the light, something about the bright young man seemed off. His movements were weak , wearied, and his eyes carried the shadow of something awful. As he came closer, she spied a particularly nasty cut along the side of his cheek, matching the nicks in his armour and strands of burnt hair that shifted around him in the cold breeze. He had survived. Though, this time, the fight hadn't come so easily.

The warrior dropped down from the roof and onto the pavement, using the windowsills as her footholds. And then she turned to face him, reminded unwillingly of that monster all those nights ago.

"W-Whoa!" Link withdrew, bringing a hand to his face. "… Ashei. You scared the hell out of me."

"What the hell happened to you? You're in real bad shape."

"I'm fine." Ashei raised an eyebrow in response, her expression darkening with incredulity. He spoke again, his voice gravelled. "… I need to talk to everyone as soon as I can. It's about the castle."

"You know we've got a plan for that ready to go, yeah? We hunted blueprints and weapons while you and Shad were running around with the Oocca. Just gotta run through the whole thing one more time."

"That's… good to hear," he nodded. "You guys have done half of the work already."

"You think we only dress the part?" she scoffed. "But before we even _touch_ any of that stuff we need to fix you up. You're in an unacceptable condition."

"What? … No, Ashei, I'm fine. Ready for anything." He made a small sound of protest before she grabbed onto his arm, beginning to march him inside. Link questioned whether the pain that wracked his body was really _that_ obvious as she shouldered his weight down the steps.

"Don't give me that. You're a terrible liar, remember?"

"Ahaha… Yeah, I remember."

All the while, Ashei questioned how she might broach the fact that she'd seen some malicious version of him tormenting Ilia through a mirror. She saw her past self drawing her sword against him, barring him from entering before he offered _some_ damned explanation of what was happening. But honour had compelled her to lay down her arms. And experience had taught her that they were far stronger, together.

The bar was a ghost town this time of night, enlivened only by Telma as she clinked around in the kitchen, readying everything for tomorrow.

"Hey. I found this one wandering around outside," Ashei interrupted.

"Oh, Link honey!" The proprietress beamed, nearly tossing her dishcloth to the other side of the room. "It's been so long! I was wondering when we'd see you again. Do you need anything? … You look like you could use a decent meal and some rest. And a bath."

"Let's heat him up some of that soup of yours. Fixes everything," Ashei said, with glowing endorsement. She shoved him down into a seat at the bar.

"Done! Won't be a minute, you two."

"… You know, if you like it so much, I could introduce you to someone cool," Link offered, smiling again for the first time. "I know a soup enthusiast. And him and his wife are always looking for new snowboarding competition."

"You know some _strange_ people," she said, her eyebrow bent as she took the seat next to him.

With Telma distracted, Ashei looked around a final time before she pulled Link close, addressing him in a new voice that caught him entirely off-guard. "Let's be real with each other. You completed the key and fought that bastard, didn't you? That's why you've turned up here looking like you've fallen into a pit of knives."

The hero stared down at the counter, his eyes stirring with restless energy before he nodded. Returning to the world of light had been a lot for him to hope for. He almost couldn't believe that he'd made it back alive. Something as simple as a regular night in the bar filled him with more relief than he could put into words. Interrupting his thoughts, the proprietress swept back into the room and poured some kind of tonic into a mug. She then offered him a plate of fresh bread.

"Soup will be ready in a couple of minutes! I'm sure you kids can look after it," she called. "And I'll be heading off to bed now… so you two can sort things out. I'm sure there's plenty to catch up on regarding a certain _someone."_

"Come on, Telma. Not everyone is obsessed with dating gossip, yeah?"

"W-Wait," Link gasped, choking on a mouthful of food. "You both… know?"

"Of course I know! _That's_ my best friend!" Ashei snapped, failing to hide the blush that crept onto her face. "And we've got real work to get through. No time for these games."

"You be careful tussling with Link, okay honey? That pretty face hides a dangerous beast," Telma warned as she sauntered up the stairs. "Goodniiiiiight."

Once the coast was clear, the swordsman turned his attention back to warrior, whose expression was as unreadable as ever.

"Did you, uh, get me alone like this cause you wanted to talk about Shad?" he asked, sincere in his concern. "I-I'd understand if you had, um… concerns about your friend. I know you've got high standards. And there's some stuff he said about you, actually, that I think we should-"

"No, Link." She sighed. "Just concentrate on getting better, yeah? You look like you've gone on a date with the butcher instead."

She vanished into the kitchen, retrieving his soup, before he could say another word.

Ashei planned to let Link finish his meal before she would press on with the interrogation. This time, the silence between them was not an uncomfortable one for the sake of mistrust. The stillness was curative. However, it was shadowed by their mental burdens, ones that came with physical repercussions. Dark hair fretted out from the warrior's barrette. The swordsman's teeth ached their way through every bite of bread, worn from clenching as Zant's sword cleaved his body. Dark shadows hung under both of their eyes. The pain was transitory, as was their moment of calm.

"I wanted to ask whether your latest mission happened to involve Ilia in any way."

 _"… Ilia?"_

Link's eyes flew wide open as he set down the cutlery - his memory flashing back to all the bizarre drawings he'd seen of her on the prisoner's desk.

"I know you'd… never do anything to hurt her. But it's important that you're upfront with me, we need all the information we can get."

"Of course I'd never hurt her!" he snapped, pupils narrowing. "Ashei, what's _happened?_ Why are you looking at me like that?"

The threatening glint in her eye faltered under the dim light of the tavern, neutralised only by the look of horror on his face. This was not the mask of a liar. Nor were they the words of a snake. "Because I saw a monster that looked just like _you_ manipulating her through that mirror in her room the other night," Ashei explained, softly. "But for all the secrets you have, it looks like this was unexpected, even for you. Do you have any idea what it was?"

"A mirror? … _No."_

"What's wrong?"

"It was **him**."

"Him, who? _Who_ are you talking about?"

Link grabbed onto fistfuls of his hair, nearly knocking everything off the counter in a panic.

"… WHAT DID HE DO?!"

 _"Keep your voice down!"_ Ashei hissed. She yanked his arms down just as quickly as they'd shot up, mitigating his urge to implode. The other half of the battle was keeping herself from losing her patience, as thin as it naturally was. "I've been keeping Ilia safe and she's _fine_. But you'd better keep on talking. I mean it."

But for all of the detail he could give, it seemed useless.

"I-In the other realm, there was this… criminal who'd been kept in a cell with a mirror. A high-profile guy. He had these drawings of Ilia stashed around his desk. But by the time I got there, the Shadow King had already set him free. I don't know what this means! Why would that person look like me? _What the hell could he want with her?!"_

"Imitation's a form of flattery," the warrior sniffed, looking at him sideways. "You really don't know what it could be? I need you to think carefully. He has an affinity for the cold."

Link turned his attention to the wall nearby. He studied his shadow as he spoke. "No. And the only person who might… never said anything."

 _'I don't have anything more on that guy, Link!'_ Midna defended. ' _His actions might've been responsible for the Twilight realm… but at the end of the day, the Interloper and the rest of his kind came from **your world**. He was a trickster of the light. But he was not one of us, Twili. We need to be looking into the castle instead, Link… it could have more to do with this dark magic.' _

"So, what do you think we should do for now? Retreat?" The words left his mouth absently and Ashei regarded them with a frown. It was regrettable, but the truth was that there was little more either of them could do. They were halfway through a job and Hyrule still needed them, just as the Twilight Realm needed leadership.

"… Eh, I've weighed your ear down long enough," Ashei exhaled, cutting the session off with a yawn. "Let's get you to bed. And I'll organise a meeting tomorrow so we can brief each other on the castle."

 _'Smart girl,'_ the Twilight Princess concurred.

"Thanks but… I'm feeling a lot better now," Link lied. He struggled to shoot a smile back at the woman whose gaze cut through him like steel. "I should really go and check on Ilia, after the whole-"

"Nope. You're drinking this potion and sleeping those injuries off," she growled, pushing a bottle of something blue into his hands. The liquid shimmered as it swirled against the light. "Shad has the night watch covered, so you can rest and see them tomorrow. Plus it's not your style to let them see you hurt, yeah? They'd be worried about you in this state."

Link cringed. "Is it that obvious?"

Without eliciting so much as a creak from the floorboards, the two made their way up the stairs. They lingered in the hallway, in front of the room Ashei relinquished to him for the night. "… There was _one_ other thing I wanted to ask you about, actually. If it's not too nosy," she said at last, keeping her voice low. "Shad said that you'd gotten together but that you weren't together. Is that the gist of it?"

"Um… kind of."

This response had earned him some rather chilling side-eye. "Just made me wonder what your intentions toward my friend were. Sometimes he's an idiot and gets carried away but he doesn't deserve to have his heart broken, if that's how you're playing it-"

"Oh n-no, Ashei…! I didn't - it's not like that at all." Link raised his hands in surrender. "I couldn't jump into a relationship because of _this_ whole mess. Because I thought I might not make it. When I finished my last job, everything was supposed to be fixed but now we're stuck dealing with the castle and-"

"So you didn't… because of the war?" she clarified.

"Uh y-yeah, if that's not too bad of an excuse?"

The mild terror in his face disappeared as the warrior's expression softened, her brows knitted in thought. "Hah. You're just like me, then."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, quietly.

Ashei leaned against the wall, wearing a grim smile as she uncovered the truth of her hesitation. "… I also had no business involving myself with anyone in this conflict. Though, I think you went with the better approach. You couldn't shut off your emotions. So you followed them, even though you had this burden to carry through to the end. You're a person just like the rest of us, Link. And you deserve to be happy."

"Wait. Ashei. Are you saying that-"

"Don't read into it." She smirked, her eyes glinting through the shroud of the hallway. "Let's get through this thing together first. And then we'll talk… _if_ we really need to."

"… Well, I've got some insider knowledge on the subject. _If_ you ever feel like working things out," he teased, putting the onus back onto the warrior.

She scoffed. And then, before he could move, she leaned in closely to speak into his ear. Her words as honeyed as they were threatening, sending him red in their aftermath. "Shut up and go to sleep, yeah? Before I give you more of those bruises."

* * *

The morning before the meeting had gone far too quickly. Link soon found himself woken by Ilia, who sat on the bed after resting a cup of coffee on his bedside table. Before fear could control their reunion, he found himself smiling at her, as she brushed her fingers against the _mostly_ healed cut on his face. His yellow hair was tattered, hanging around his shoulders in wisps that were mostly destroyed at the ends.

"Charging in head-first again, huh?" she tsk-ed, now taking note at the state of his clothes.

"You mean there's _another_ way to do things?" he said, playfully.

"Give me a second, Link." And then, his best friend vanished into the bathroom, rifling through the various drawers until she pulled out a pair of scissors. "Alright! Come on in here. We're gonna get you all fixed up."

"Hmm, I don't know. My gut tells me you're about to finish the job…"

"You wanna look nice for Shad, don't you?" she teased.

Not long after, Shad knocked on the door, obeying Ilia's command to simply let himself in. He relinquished a breakfast tray to the nearest table as he entered the room, looking around cautiously before he spotted Ilia tidying the damaged ends of Link's hair. Seeing it now, he noticed how long it had gotten since they'd met.

"P-Pardon the intrusion, old boy!" the scholar stammered. "There is, erm, some breakfast for you on the table. I only wished to see that you were alive, however, and I shan't interrupt the rest of your morning-"

"… SHAD!" Link shouted, dusting the hair from his shoulders before he rushed into his arms. He had waited so long to see him - after wading through all of the horrors of the Twilight - and now that he was here, he refused to let go. The swordsman held onto him fiercely, nestling his face against his shoulder. That familiar scent of the forest filled Shad's lungs and the memories came flooding back, engulfing him with a warmth no potion could replicate.

"I was hoping to have him cleaned up _before_ you got here," Ilia giggled, feeling quite proud of her work.

"You're not leaving us!" Link protested, his voice muffled against the scholar's chest. "I really wanted to see both of you before everything gets busy again."

"… In that case, I am all yours." The scholar chuckled. "No need to stop the hairdressing session on my account."

He'd found himself taken by Ilia's restoration efforts and left momentarily to fetch sewing supplies, stitching the burns and cuts that marred Link's clothing as he showered. Curiously, he noted the mail that ran under the swordsman's clothes, which were now draped over a chair, had taken quite the beating, and yet the tunic itself was only _mildly_ damaged.

Once Link emerged from the bathroom, dressed in his essentials, his injuries soothed by the blast of hot water, he nearly found himself overwhelmed by the sight of Shad and Ilia repairing his belongings. Getting everything of his into order before the meeting today. In an effort to make the most of these final hours of calm, the three then made their way onto the roof, upon which they could enjoy the sun.

It gleamed over the town.

"I wish we could just stay here, like this." Link smiled. His eyes flickered over the distant roads as he leaned against Shad's shoulder. Ilia was stretched out just beneath them, absorbing every drop of the morning sun as her light hair sparkled in the rays.

"Shall I tell the others that the meeting is cancelled, then?" The scholar laughed before he entwined his arm around Link's waist. "… Ah, how terrible. At times like this I must remind myself that Hyrule is in greater need of you than I am."

"Link will come back, though. He always does," Ilia promised.

The swordsman enclosed his hand around Shad's before he brought it to his lips and kissed, gently.

"I'll get us through this one last time. I promise."

* * *

Against the bright and airy ambience of the morning, the skies were soon smothered under a blanket of clouds, casting a dark canopy over Castle Town. The promise of rain filled the lungs of any who breathed the air of the streets, though there were little more than flecks of water upon the windowsills as Telma closed the bar for business.

The Resistance assumed their normal posts at the meeting table - with Rusl seated to the far left, Auru hunched over the castle blueprints, Ashei standing impatiently in the corner, and then finally Shad, glancing over the collection of notes sprawled before him. Telma hovered nearby, her eyes sweeping between the pictures she kept over the fireplace on occasion. Ilia settled into an armchair some distance away, with Louise in her lap.

Link took a deep breath. He felt all the eyes in the room settling onto him, anxious for the news he'd been loathe to deliver.

"… His name is Ganondorf. That's who we're dealing with. He's the reason everything in Hyrule started falling apart."

"I have not heard that name in many years," Auru relayed, his voice grim. "If that is indeed the very same King of Thieves we were warned of by the Sages, during my service to the Royal Family. He was a dark sorcerer with his own ambitions for the throne."

"King of Thieves, King of Shadows… all of these are just fancy titles for some dictator, right?" Ashei rolled her eyes. "But if he's a real person then he can be killed, just like the rest of us. We _have_ a plan."

"However, we alone cannot do a thing with that magic barrier in place," Rusl reminded. "Whoever put it there did quite the job! It extends over the storm water drain running between here and the castle… trust me, we've checked."

"So, you see, Link," Shad spoke up. "If there is anything that _you_ could do to lift this final obstacle, we would be yours to aim at the threat. We could take down this Ganondorf, together."

To the surprise of everyone, the swordsman smiled gently in response.

"I have a way to get us in. Um, I can't promise it'll work yet… and it might be dangerous for the person wielding it… but she'll be alright. She's strong. This is our best chance."

"Shall we turn our attention to the castle grounds, then?" Auru's efforts to guide the group's attention away from any glaring discrepancies in Link's plan seemed to work. The Resistance took hold of the rest of the meeting, running through the various objectives they'd have to meet if they were to take back the castle from a hostile force.

"… And that's the west wing of the grounds." Ashei exhaled. "Neither are particularly complicated but we need to memorise it and use the existing fortification to our advantage. There could be traps."

Rusl grumbled before he continued, eyeing the blueprints with some concern. "If what Link says about Ganondorf being the source of the evil is true, then there's no anticipating just how heavily guarded the area might be. I'd also venture that the guards trapped in there have long since perished."

"It's a gamble. So, how do we wanna do this?" the warrior asked, searching their faces. "It'd be faster if we split up but that would leave us vulnerable to attack."

"I can take the west," Link volunteered. "It's smaller, so I can cover it alone. Neither of you guys need to risk it."

Shad nearly knocked his belongings off the table, paling at the development. Ilia shot him a cold look from the fireplace, that simply said, 'You're doing too much again.'

"L-Link, are you… quite certain that-"

"Please, Shad. Ilia. He'll manage just fine. You need only believe in him," Rusl intervened. He looked to his apprentice with an overflowing sense of pride. Link nodded back, confident in his abilities. "We trust in you, my friend. You have our full support."

"Of course, I-I didn't mean to imply… that you were incapable," the scholar frowned.

The hero had noticed the crestfallen look on Shad's face and reached out to rub his shoulder, restoring some life in his eyes. But all Shad could think of was how incredibly lonely it must have been for Link. He remembered the terrible moment he'd fled that path of flame, emitted by that dragon in the Sky. And Link never complained. That was the part that wounded him most, the idea that he might burn, just to serve as a solution to the conflict.

"Cheer up, honey. He's our one-man army, remember? Your words," Telma beamed from across the room. Shad blushed and clear his throat.

"Right? He's got the easy job. And then, once we've taken the grounds, he should have a clear run to the top. We're here to reinforce you as needed, keep any enemies off the battlements," Ashei nodded. She looked up to the sight of Link's blue gaze storming over, grim with determination. A tempest in waiting.

 _'Just one more time…'_ he reminded himself.

"Sound good to you, yeah?"

"… Yeah."

Looking around the room, all he could see were the others dragged into _his_ mess. People isolated from their work, their families, their dreams - all in the face of imminent destruction. Here they all stood, ready to sacrifice it all for their shared goal. He promised himself to make it count.

"Let's end this."

* * *

The following evening, the Resistance assembled beyond the unmanned gate towers in the north end of town. They stood silently - quivers full, armours reinforced and swords sharpened - some metres away from the wall of magic that ascended up into the sky, capturing even the most unreachable spires of Hyrule Castle. Sundown was barely an hour away and rain drizzled sporadically over the town, dampening the efforts of any who sought to use fire arrows in their defence.

Ashei turned her attention to the sprinkle of the raindrops against the barrier, noting how it rippled and stirred with foreboding energy upon even the slightest touch. As she waited for the signal from Link, she recalled their final conversation, moments before he disappeared. His gloved hand had settled onto the hard sheen of her shoulder plate, drawing her thoughts from the battle before them.

"… Hey."

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts," she'd joked, flashing a half-smile his way.

"Just wanted to say good luck," he said, lowering his voice out of ear-shot. "And you and Shad look out for each other. If anything happened to you guys, I'd…"

"He's safe with me. You just stay alive, alright?"

Blinking away from the memory, she looked to her side and caught the scholar standing there in the rain, looking all the way up the side of the barrier and into the clouds. _Dreading_ what might become of the young man he'd laughed at in the street all those months ago. If he'd been able to fight, he might've made the case that he should go along and support Link with his mission. But he'd spent more time with paper than steel.

The stillness of the rain was soon overshadowed by the glaring orange of twilight.

And then, came the thunder, as a great monster surged against the magic barrier.

From the ground floor it was nearly impossible to see what was going on - _but for the lance,_ _the size of a building_ \- conjured suddenly from the air. It seared with a vengeance that would've burned the eyes of any who looked upon it directly, before Midna plunged it into the wall. The barrier shattered into pieces as the earth around them quaked. Once the commotion died down, the softer hues of dusk reclaimed the skies once again.

Hyrule Castle was imprisoned, no more.

Rusl removed his helmet as he took in the gravity of the scene before him. "He did it."

"M-My _word."_ Shad stumbled in place, gripping onto the wall to steady himself. "For all the time we spent together… I hadn't the faintest idea he was capable of such a thing!"

Ashei's fingers enclosed around the hilt of her sword before she made for the gates. She stepped beyond the ghost of the blockade and onto a stretch of pavement that hadn't been touched by humans in months. The rain fell heavier as they neared the end of the road. She let it drown any distractions that may have yet lingered. "We have a job to do," she commanded. "Let's go."

* * *

 **AN:** Ohhh boyyyy, we're all set up and ready to dive in!

Thank you so much again to everybody who made it this far! There was a lot of talking in this chapter but dangerous things are on the brink of happening, so hold onto your hats...


	23. In Bottles

**AN:** ... Omg. Guys. I hope you'll forgive me but this one's a ride. *Hands out stress balls and care packages*  
 **  
**CW: Violence, blood and emergency situation ahead.

* * *

 **Interlude  
**  
Somehow…

It felt different from the way it did before.

The sun had long disappeared and the desert heat was replaced with a biting cold, a frigid wind, that breathed some comfort into his ancient bones. The world of Light was not the same one he'd left aeons ago.

He could feel it. Evil, radiating out from the heart of the continent. But out here it was little more than a whisper, a shadow of something foreboding - something _just_ out of reach. Even so, his lungs choked upon the air in this world. The night burned with a harshness that only instilled his fear of the sun.

However, with the Twilight Mirror completed, the time for waiting was over.

And he had a score to settle with the one responsible.

* * *

 **Chapter 23 - In Bottles**

An unnerving silence hung over the courtyard, broken only by sporadic raindrops over the pavement. As the Resistance stepped closer toward the castle itself - which was a breath-taking structure, built of carved white bricks and roof-tiles that resembled blue kyanite - Shad immediately recognised the screeches and caws of the Kargaroks. They had merged with the storm above, hanging over them like a pestilent omen.

"We cannot stay in this area or they'll reveal our location to the enemies inside," he warned the group.

Rusl wordlessly gestured towards an entrance, located below the fortifications to their right. It sectioned off the outer ward they now occupied from the eastern wing.

Though the area was hauntingly quiet, the tell tale signs of a garrison in-wait were there. The acrid stench of smoke drifted about in the air, intermingled with the fog from the downpour. As they stepped closer, they heard the faint growling of Bulblins and Lizalfos, detectable through the large stone walls. Worse still, was the knowledge that they were on high alert after the barrier had been so proudly shattered.

Shad led his colleagues over to a heavy metal door along the battlements and budged it, only slightly, his arms. It hadn't been locked down despite the heightened security threat. With a sigh of relief, he then pushed it the rest of the way, weapons poised at his back. Once they'd made it inside, Ashei scoped out the ward ahead through one of the arrow slits on the second floor. The flames of arrows and torches pierced through the night, giving away the position of nearly everything in front of her. The _clanking_ footsteps of enemies could be heard from the roof above.

"It's a pretty full-on deal," she informed them, her voice low, after sneaking back down to the ground floor. "Visibility's poor but they've got flamed weapons, watch towers and spiked barricades all over the joint. Enemies stationed on the roof. Once we open that door, we lose the element of surprise."

"Then perhaps we should begin by taking this building and removing the threat from above. Is there a way up there from inside?" Rusl asked. The warrior nodded in response.

Meanwhile, Auru finished loading the canon strapped to his shoulder. "You and Ashei have swords, so that might be more to your aptitude. I can bring down any of the nearby watchtowers with this. I cannot imagine that any of them are particularly sturdy, given the lack of infrastructure in the palace gardens."

"I'll… erm…" Shad hesitated, glancing between his colleagues and wondering where he might be the _least_ in the way.

"Stay on the ground," Ashei instructed. "We're going to need you two to barricade the door when the first wave comes pouring out. Once we have control of the roof, we'll be able to pick them off with arrows before moving onto the next bit."

"R-Right."

Their plan had worked surprisingly well for one so quickly improvised.

Ashei and Rusl moved out onto the second level, reducing as much noise as they could against the stone floors, despite being the most heavily armoured. The warrior made a silent gesture to a trapdoor in the ceiling. And then, the final step was to wait until the footsteps of the monsters above - most likely a pair of Lizalfos - scuffled away…

The door burst open on the swordsman's signal.

They soon found themselves fighting one-on-one with the armoured beasts, who swung the swords and axes crudely strapped to their tails with violent haste. But they were little to no match for two human fighters, who carried the finesse and the intelligence to block and dodge their attacks. Being smaller in stature was a common advantage that Ashei was always willing to use. She ghosted _just_ out of the way of their blades, gaining a clean stab at one of the lizard's midsections. Before the creature's tail could swing around and inflict a departing wound to her side, to which she swivelled the plate of her armour towards, Rusl sliced it off clean in a single motion. She smirked up at him in gratitude as the beast slumped over the ledge.

The two fighters directed their attention onto the final enemy.

On the ground floor, the enemy watchtowers were splintering under the thunderous impact of the canon blasts. With a couple of well-placed shots, entire structures crashed down upon the infantry below, causing a fresh wave of enemies to pour out from the inner reaches of the wing. Large chunks of the debris were now aflame, splattered in oil intended for the monsters' weapons.

As the Bulblins neared the fortifications, Auru and Shad retreated inside and held down the door, using weapon racks and a heavy table to assist with leverage. The scholar began to wonder at the precariousness of their situation… but with the Lizalfos on the roof taken care of, Rusl and Ashei had drawn their bows. He watched from below as they rained down fire upon the bottleneck of enemy units scratching at their door, stopping only to take cover from their returned arrows.

When the reptilian growls and barks whittled down into nothing but retreating whimpers, the Resistance reunited on the ground floor and opened the door to the carnage outside. Only a few stubborn Bulblins remained, and those that rushed towards the fighters soon found themselves tasting the steel of their weapons.

As Shad absorbed the scale of the wreckage around him, he'd found it difficult not to pale in the presence of the monsters' bodies, which were strewn about the grounds. After seeing _one_ too many, he immediately turned around and hid his face in his hands, suppressing the wave of nausea that hit him.

"Look sharp, Shad! I sometimes forget that you're new to the frontlines," Rusl said heartily, giving him a slap on the back.

He stepped over the pieces of burning timber and glanced over his colleagues, none of which had taken even a scratch."… Goddesses. I don't suppose anybody did their research on legal immunity _before_ we blew everything up?"

"Don't count your Cuccoos, yet. There're at least two more wards to the east," Ashei responded, plucking ammo from the eye-socket of a fallen enemy.

"And evidently, a dozen more suits to add to our names." Shad sighed. "Shall we, then?"

* * *

Though they were numerous, on a grotesque scale, the Bulblins did not seem to be particularly crafty adversaries. And so, the Resistance's campaign began to fall into a predictable pattern of wave after wave of the beasts, each _scrambling_ to claw back the ground they were losing. Their foes were ill-fitted against the defences of the human frontrunners, out-matched against their tactics. And with no support from their General, the foot soldiers had little direction to go but forward.

Winning the grounds looked to be achievable within hours. __

 _'I wonder if Link is finding it just as easy on his own.'_

The Resistance had made it halfway down the eastern ward before they were forced into a narrow corridor with another wild slew of the monsters. They poured out through a crumbled wall in the north, where the rest of the army lied in wait.

Here, Shad could only stand and watch - having to alternate between keeping his distance and drawing closer for protection - as his colleagues hacked, slashed and blasted their way through the thick of it. In this part of the grounds, there was little elbowroom for any bold or elaborate strategy, apart from using their ranged attackers to thin the onslaught before Ashei cut them down.

However, being outmatched in firepower quickly spurred the Bulblins into desperate measures. They had certainly _noticed_ the team's sole vulnerability… a pacifist in their midst, who administered their healing supplies. The manner in which he ducked and dashed around the others only confirmed his gentle nature to their enemies. And so, he was to be their undoing.

Ashei thought it an unnerving development when the Bulblin forces abandoned one of their watchtowers, leaving it totally intact as the next wave rushed in on the ground. But an unmanned watchtower was a _useless_ watchtower, and without a rain of fire arrows to dodge, the Resistance were inclined to fight the problem in front of them.

 _"Ahem."_ Rusl winked at Shad, before the scholar caught his bearings and dashed out of range from his colleague's bow.

A smattering of enemies soon collapsed around Ashei from his arrows and she'd slashed effortlessly at the stragglers, taking them down with merciful haste. Consolidating their team attack, Auru fired the cannon directly into the Bulblins' entry point from the wall, confident in the knowledge that every beast he'd hit was one less to engage in direct combat.

Everything was playing out just as they expected.

After feeding just _enough_ infantry to keep Ashei occupied at the front of the Resistance ranks, a second wave followed those sacrificed in the blast. They turned their attention towards the watchtower. The only thing that gave away their position were the few with enflamed weapons, burning low in the dreary gloom of the evening.

Simultaneously, caught somewhere in between their two ranged attackers and their leading fighter, Shad had lost track of himself in the chaos. He carried unvented concerns for Link's safety on the other side of the castle grounds, wondering just how intense _his_ part of the mission might've been if the four of them were here, now, giving their all.

As much as he wished to fight, to be able to protect Link with his own hands, he'd also come to the painful realisation going with him would have burdened himgreatly. Even more than he had his own colleagues. Watching Ashei now, he couldn't deny, in this agonising moment, that she had absolutely no use for someone like him. Apart from the odd tactical observation and the extra set of eyes and ears, there was little else he felt he could've offered the team.

A new sound rushed to his ears from the road ahead, a _snapping_ and a _cracking_ that differed from the blasts from before.

"WATCH OUT!"

The lone watchtower, now saturated in flammable oil, had met a spark and was _fast_ becoming engulfed in flames. It started to _crash_ down diagonally towards Shad, separating him from the rest of the group, as the cheerful cries of the enemies pierced through the fog and smoke. They waited just long enough for the scholar to be in the correct position.

 _"MOVE, SHAD!"  
_  
Woken violently into the present - with only seconds to react - Shad's mind seized, clamouring for the priority of their mission. If they were to be separated, protecting the other three came first. They were the only ones who could finish the job and support Link to the end. A wall of flaming lumber tumbled down from above. Before it made contact, he vaulted the healing supplies into the air, aiming it at the Resistance.

Frozen in place, and resolute in his decision, Shad suddenly found himself thrown backwards. The weight was unexpected, far less heavier than the rubble he'd braced for. He hit the gravel. _Hard_. And then he opened his eyes to a familiar face. The wreckage of the watchtower burned mere feet away from them, his every sense assaulted by the battlefield.

"… Ashei?"

She pulled herself away unceremoniously, having run over and tackled him to the ground.

"ASHEI! NO! You were supposed to stay over there with the others! Our healing supplies-"

"SHUT UP! WE'RE NOT LEAVING YOU HERE, UNARMED!" she shouted back, her eyes furious. A graze on the side of her face began to bleed. "… They're coming. You have to get up."

The scholar shot a futile glance at burning tower. Enormous chunks of wood had blocked off the corridor, creating another thick wall of flames and smoke. "What of Rusl and Auru? Were they caught in the fall?" he asked, powerless as Ashei hoisted him up by the cold grip of her arm.

"They're safe on the other side. But we need to worry about ourselves." Just as she had warned him, their foes chanted in a series of growls that echoed off the walls of the castle. There was no time to get the rest of their bearings. Ashei stepped forward, her sword readied and her eyes scanning the entryway for signs of movement. "… Don't panic," she said softly, looking her shoulder. "Just stay behind me. Nobody can touch you there."

Words failed to reach him, before his attention was drawn away, briefly, by a lone hawk that descended from the night sky. It delivered the mere handful of potions it could have carried onto the grass behind them. Rusl and Auru had thrown them a lifeline. The bird perched itself onto the warrior's shoulder and she crooned at it in thanks, before the creature looked to the battle ahead.

"Ashei, give me your crossbow," Shad offered.

 _"What?!_ This isn't time for you to be a hero. Just stay out of my way."

"I've used weapons before, on the assignment with Link!" he argued. "It might have saved his life! And I will be _damned_ if I haven't observed you using that thing on numerous occasions. Remember that lecherous guard, who's drink you shattered?"

Running out of time to bicker, and conceding the fact that her use for it was severely limited by the sword, Ashei unclipped the weapon from her back and tossed it to Shad, watching him load from the quiver before he brandished it. At the very least, it wasn't as technical as her hunting bows from back home…

"Rest it against your shoulder. Pull the trigger to fire," she said. "Here they come."

As the next wave of enemies rushed out from the final ward and into the burning hall, the warrior felt every brick of the fortifications trapping them inside, like rats against a tide of mice. But as they drew near, the time for thinking was over. Ashei leapt into action, dashing forward to put as much space as reasonably possible between the battle and the man she'd sworn to protect.

The buffering zone gave Shad plenty of time to aim and, to the best of his ability, shoot the monsters down, pausing at each interval to ensure that he wouldn't be hitting his friend. Thankfully, her armour glinted back at him in the dark, catching orange from the nearby flames. Engaging twelve enemies at a time was a treacherous feat for any seasoned fighter. Even if the Bulblins were reckless and dim-witted, their movements slower, their propensity for violence fuelled by amusement. But for the moment, the humans could keep their heads above water.

The hawk screeched as it clawed the Bulblins' eyes with its great talons, stopping them in their tracks, before Ashei's sword cut them down. For every hit the monsters inflicted upon the warrior, she employed her usual strategy of lessening the blows as much as possible.

 _"Agh!"  
_  
However, her injuries were beginning to stack. The longer the battle dragged on, the harder her stamina drained. The monsters' strategy of using numbers to overwhelm them was slowly edging their side towards victory.

"Ashei! You need to heal, now!"

"I'm… a little… _busy,"_ she panted, splitting one of the enemies into two.

"Then I shall come to you-"

"NO!"

After shooting down a few more of the stragglers, who'd slipped past the armoured warrior in some miscalculated effort to gang up on him, Shad snatched the delivery of potions and sprinted into the fray. The first of the bottles tumbled out from his grasp, as he dodged an incoming attack, smashing onto the pavement below. He heard Ashei snarl in pain as a machete clipped against the uncovered part of her shoulder. She whirled around to decapitate whoever was responsible, when she saw the flash of his auburn hair against the distant fire.

 _'Oh, no, Shad! What the hell are you doing?!'  
_  
Before a bolt pierced into its head, another one of the assailants came at the scholar, drawing its sword against his side. He splashed the second of the potions onto himself immediately to stop the bleeding, determined to make it the rest of the way. Now, overcome with her desperation to protect him, the warrior pushed through the crowd of monsters and dashed to his side. She held off the surrounding enemies with her sword, leering back at the crippled battalion.

"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?" she roared. "Who wants to go next?!"

There was a brief moment in which neither side moved, before Ashei stepped back carefully towards Shad, over some of the bodies of their fallen.

"Here…" he breathed, eyes gaunt with exhaustion, as he used the last of their potions to mend her bleeding.

Ashei felt the searing pain in her shoulder begin to melt away, before the rest of her injures knitted themselves closed. Though the skin was held together in a fragile state, and prone to breaking if disturbed, her relief was immense. She wasn't sure if it was due to the emotional or physical toll of what had just happened but the warrior found herself blinking back the tears in the corners of her eyes. A silly and involuntary reaction, she'd thought, given the situation.

"Now you can finish the job," Shad smiled.

There was a second wind to the reserves of her stamina, one that threatened to cut through the rest of the yard. Ashei cast a thankful glance over her shoulder before she rushed in to dispatch the last of the wave of monsters, her fear slowly, and gradually, converting to boldness as the end drew near. Eventually, the two humans stood alone in the bloody corridor of the castle grounds, covered in the muck and gore of the garden. The smoke had grown thick, its flames choking under the damp atmosphere. Against all the odds, they had _survived._

Ashei looked over the scene with pure incredulity, unsure if she had really been capable of such a thing.

"… I can't believe it."

"Honestly? … I never doubted it for a second," the scholar said with a dry laugh, lowering the crossbow with shaking arms.

Ashei regarded him directly for the first time since the entire incident was set into motion. She felt unable to place the feeling of pride that had taken her upon the declaration that they were, in fact, still alive. Shad looked utterly ragged from the battle, with locks of hair sticking down onto his forehead and flecks of dirt all over his face, deterred only by the golden rims of his glasses. She imagined that she must have looked _much_ worse, given the amount of monster blood that trailed down her armour in the rain. Though, the post-battle adrenaline never failed to make up for the unsavoury parts.

"You did good. _Really_ good for someone who says they can't fight," she said softly, clipping the crossbow onto her back. "Link would be proud of you, yeah?"

"… Ashei. I would most certainly be dead right now if you hadn't acted as you did. You have my deepest thanks-"

But Shad's thoughts were interrupted when Rusl's hawk screeched loudly from the sky, alerting him to the row of archers that held the ramparts along the outer edge of the castle. By the time he spotted them over Ashei's shoulder, they had already released their arrows, and fire dotted the horizon. The warrior found herself thrown to the side with unexpected force.

And then - before she could even draw in her breath at the abrupt development - the arrows hailed down upon them.

Some apparition of Link was conjured into Shad's mind before the fall, calling to him from beyond the recesses of his memories.

 _'Well, Shad… Imagine if you failed them…'_ he'd said, blinking back tears against the wall of the study. His yellow hair hung over his face, obscuring his anguish for what happened to Ilia on that terrible day.

 _'… Your best friend.'  
_  
In a matter of seconds, the scholar felt the arrows plunge into his back and around his shoulder - unsure of how many had struck him, yet his vision nearly went out on impact. The razor-sharp edges bit _hard_ against his bones, metal tips searing into his flesh without mercy. He could not move. And he'd nearly blacked out from the pain alone.

"Shad…?!"

"SHAD!"

Shad was only faintly aware of someone _screaming_ his name from the ground nearby, along with the sensation of being hauled away, before an explosion engulfed the distant ramparts. Ashei swept him in both arms and then bolted through the broken part of the wall where the Bulblins poured out only moments ago, before they met their grizzly end in the corridor. Her hunch was right, in that the final section of the ward was now completely empty, with only the decaying fortifications and exhumed campfires left in their wake.

Together, they had managed to clean out the rest of the army.

She laid the injured scholar to his side in a quiet spot of the garden, hoping the surrounding shrubbery would conceal him from any prying eyes. _"Why did you have to_ _go and_ _do that?!"_ she snarled, sounding angrier than ever before.

Shad struggled to focus his gaze as his injuries burned from within. White dots danced in front of his eyes and the coppered taste of blood filled his mouth as he breathed in, far more slowly, against the rising ride.

"You shouldn't have interfered! I'm supposed to be protecting you!" Ashei continued, unable to think but for the catastrophe that was unravelling before her. "Fuck, this wasn't ever supposed to HAPPEN-" _  
_  
"Ashei…"

His voice was raspy. Unfamiliar. And it carried an urgency that she'd never heard before. "I still owed you for my research… and for saving my life." He swallowed. "The way they were aiming… they would've _killed_ you."

"You don't KNOW that!" she snapped, her eyes on the verge of spilling over _._ "And I don't care about any of that stuff! We need you here! _I_ need you here… and _I promised Link that you'd be safe!"  
_  
Their argument took a turn as the scholar began to cough, losing the strength to fight her. "… Listen to me," he pleaded. "Tell Link… and all of the others that I'm _sorry._ I especially hate to put him… and Ilia through this… but the alternative was far worse. I will be alright… you see, I finally finished… my life's work."

"Stop talking like that, yeah? You're not going _anywhere-"_

"Ash." _  
_  
She cut herself off as Shad mustered the last of his strength to reach up and place his hand against the side of her face, concealing her graze. His fingertips trailed down. And then they rested, finally, against her lips. Nobody had ever dared to call her that before, and yet it resonated within her - wounding her like a name she'd been missing all these years. Her harsh gaze was quietened, quivering with horror at the frailty of his touch.

"… I love you both. And I'm… so sorry. Will you tell Link for me? Promise me, please."

For a moment, she was speechless. Tears fell silently onto the scholar's bloodied shirt. And then she paused to cram the rest of her emotions away, with little enthusiasm for unpacking them later. Time was of the essence and she knew there might still be a way for him to pull through. She could not give up. She refused to give up. "Tell him **yourself**. I'm taking you to him, right now."

"… What do you mean, what are… you-"

 _"Shhh."  
_  
But before she went to lift him again, the warrior whipped her head around to follow the noise of branches rustling in the undergrowth, conceding the fact that she would be forced to run from anyone in this situation. That was when she saw it. The shadowed form of an enormous wolf in the garden, a _harrowing_ sight that had somehow escaped her notice as she'd fled with Shad into the enclave.

"Link?" she gasped.

Then, as though it were a trick to the eyes, the creature dissipated into the night.

Without another second to waste, Ashei pushed the image aside as some mere imagining, all too aware that the mind was prone to deception when hijacked with fear. And then she calculated their escape plan. If the blueprints were to be trusted, they were _just_ at the end of the road where the eastern and western wings were divided by a single wall. As luck would have it, part of it had collapsed during the garrison's occupation, allowing her to rush into the acreage ahead.

"Hold on, Shad. I'll **never** forgive you if you don't."

After sprinting blearily through the wreckage of the west wing - unable to focus on the smouldering details, but for the occasional trap that was still intact - Ashei smashed through the final gate and out into the courtyard for the entrance of the castle. Her hunch was right. There, across the pavement, _she saw him._ The swordsman in green was barely perceptible through their murky surroundings, but she called out to him as urgently as she could, her voice nearly cracking under the weight.

 _"LINK!"  
_  
The swordsman stopped in his tracks, looking around to find the source of the noise. From the distance, he caught the sheen of Ashei's armour, though it seemed to be obscured by something else. A person in her arms, who looked surprisingly like…

"Wh… What happened?! Oh Goddesses… _SHAD?!"  
_  
The hissing rain and the caws of the Kargaroks bled out of perception as he ran to their side, taking in the scene before him with wide, unblinking eyes. While Shad stirred incoherently in Ashei's arms, Link had noticed several arrows jutting out crudely from his shoulder piercing through his tattered and bloodied shirt.

"We got separated from the others! _There's no TIME!_ I don't have anything left to heal him!"

Wishing that he could erase the horrifying scene in front of him as quickly as he'd seen it, Link glanced behind him to the doorstep of the palace. As dangerously close as he was to losing it right now, Shad _needed_ him. And that outweighed everything else. He allowed the iron resolve that had kept him alive all this time, the one entwined within his very spirit, to take over. It pulled him out of the rain as he pulled the others towards the castle.

"I do. Let's get him inside, quickly."

* * *

 _'Link always comes back.'  
_  
It was a mantra that always served Ilia well, grounding her far more easily than any memory of the springs.

However, tonight, the unpleasant thoughts weighed heavier than before. It also hadn't helped that the bar downstairs was silent. Telma decided to stay open during the Resistance's raid on the castle, hoping to give at least _some_ semblance of normality, but the town was enraptured since the barrier had come down. Ultimately, Ilia was left to wage her own battle against the book in her grasp. Distracting herself from the knowledge that her oldest friend might not emerge from the castle grounds. Her only comfort was the fact that it had been _quite_ some time since she'd had this much space to herself.

Ever since the Mirror incident, Ashei refused to leave her side when the sun went down and had taken to napping on the hard floor of her room. Though she admired the warrior's chivalry, the uneasy feeling that came with constantly being watched over had only compounded upon Shad's return. However, he had been far less _militant_ about the entire situation, and was content with simply knocking every couple of hours. She began to wonder how he might be coping out there instead, after coming to the grim realisation that she'd probably had more combat training than him, from her father.

Not that Link would have allowed her to tag along in a hundred years.

 _Knock, knock._

"Telma? Did you need a hand at the bar?" Ilia called out. She tilted her head, given the fact that the atmosphere on the streets was definitely more like that of a ghost town. _  
_  
"… Um, Ilia. It's me," came a familiar voice.

She froze. __

"Link!" she gasped, flinging the door open. "What are you doing back here, what's _happened?!"_

Louise, who had been sitting quietly on the floor nearby, ran over and hissed at the man on the other side of the doorway. Her white fur stood on end as her tail whipped back and forth, lashing around Ilia's ankles. She regarded the cat's reaction as strange - given her usual fondness for the man who fed her his dinner scraps - yet, indisputably, it was him.

It was his silhouette, the same sweep of hair that fell across his angular face. And they were the same familiar lids of his clear blue eyes. Those eyes that resembled the river outside of her house - _more so than the darkened red he'd nearly been driven mad attempting to transfigure -_ reassuring her on his every visit.

The eyes. She strained to see them with the light at his back. Realising that something about them was… off.

"… Link?" she asked again, craning her head to get a better look into his face. Thankfully, the shadows his most of his subtleties from her curious gaze - though not the expression he had adopted, which was one of genuine surprise.

"Ah… I-Ilia!" He fumbled, stepping back into character. "It's _Shad._ I rushed here as soon as I could…"

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Shad? What do you mean?!" she asked, frantic. "He is alive,isn't he?!"

"Actually, it's… very serious, Ilia. Something happened to him in the grounds. He's on the brink now and we can't save him with his injures," Link frowned, channelling as much remorse into his voice as he could. "I came to get you because he… wanted to see us all _one_ last time. You know… before it happens. He's there at the castle now, waiting for you."

"And you just LEFT him there?!"

Her eyes flew open, flickering in the light like a forest set aflame. She resisted the urge to hit him. "Shad needs you more than ever! What if he's gone by the time we return? Goddesses, Link…I… just can't believe it." She felt her legs give way before she crashed to the floor, concealing her face in her hands.

' _It's happening again.'_

Meanwhile, Link wore a puzzled expression. He wanted the girl to go along with him willingly… it would've made his job _that_ much easier. And there was something alluring about winning her over with his disguise. He searched each of the memories that he'd extracted from her journey, finding himself overwhelmed despite the short time she had lived here. But then, he finally settled upon something he had heard from her dreams, hoping that they were the right words, the _best_ words to get him where he wanted.

"He's a brave person. And just as selfless. You know who said that? It was you," he said, with a gentle smile. "I'm sure Shad wouldn't mind hearing that again. It was his sacrifice that saved Ashei."

The truth slipped in there with relative ease, failing to raise a single eyebrow from the girl on the floor.

Ilia took a particularly heavy pause before she spoke again, her voice hoarse. "… I'll go," she decided. "I can't imagine how she must be feeling. And I owe it to him to _try…_ especially if it was important enough to send you away. Let's go." She picked herself up off the floor, her movements hastening upon the realisation that she'd wasted time by being mad.

His heart jolted with excitement. "I have a way to get back quickly," Link offered.

Then, with an inextricably _effortless_ wave of his arm, a dark portal opened from the other side of the room, blowing some of the smaller objects on the dresser away. The pages of her abandoned book fluttered against its formidable pull, through which even the light could not escape. Louise put herself between Ilia and the creature, yowling and flattening her ears.

"Magic?" she said, unsure, gauging the cat's reaction. "… You never told me you could do _that."  
_  
"There's a lot of things I haven't told you about, Ilia. I'm sorry." __

He reached out to touch her on the arm, wanting to simply grab her and run, but he hesitated. Just enough so that the movement became deliberate… and tender. It seemed impossible not too long ago. And yet, here she was now, warmer than he could have imagined. Softer than he could have dreamed. Ilia flinched just as the fingertips brushed against her skin, feeling that he was as cold as ice.

And there it was, again.

 _His eyes…  
_  
The reading light from her desk caught them as he stepped closer and she realised then, that they were **red**.

The striking colour set off a chain-reaction as the Eye of Truth suddenly bore into her mind, flashing against her eyelids, as she witnessed the gravity of the lie before her. Those red eyes were the very same ones that had stolen hours of her sleep. He had dredged through her memories, leaving her in some halfway state between her rehabilitation and trauma. They were the eyes of the monster who had been following her for months. The eyes of the monster who had attacked her when she was most alone.

"… Well Link, I don't believe _I_ ever… told you about those comments to Shad," she answered, her voice falling from feigned innocence to one of utter contempt. "I said that to him in the book store while you were busy sparring with Ashei. And he's _never_ bragged about our relationship, he was so scared of being seen as advantageous. Especially by you. Surely you could've put that together after spying on us all this time?"

The facade shattered as the shadow began to shift in form, the blonde in his hair and the tan in his complexion falling away into shadow. Just as her memories had warned her, it wasn't Link at all. He was a spectre. A **horror** from some long forgotten era. He blinked back at her, inspecting her, as his eyes burned with all of the leashed chaos the Goddesses had tried to bury.

 _"Pity, you figured it out,"_ the creature said, in a new, far deeper voice. _"I thought this was going so well."_

Louise pounced upon his leg but before she could sink her teeth or claws into her foe, he kicked her out of the way. Ilia drew in a sharp breath, wanting to scream before the Interloper silenced her with a hand. And then he pulled her into the void, with a cold iron grip.

* * *

The castle door burst open with careless haste before Ashei set Shad down into a corner of the entrance hall, dripping rain all over the polished tiles. She'd done her best to avoid putting any more pressure onto the side where the arrows were stuck, though her eyes never left his face. The battlefield had offered many unpleasant images over the years but she knew if she saw it _now_ \- those arrows, imbedded deep into his chest - she might finally meet her breaking point.

"Look at me, Shad!" she urged, tilting his face forward. "You're alive, yeah? Only a minute longer! Link is gonna fix you right up…"

The scholar stirred. He began mumbling incoherently, his head resting against her arm.

"Shhh… Come on Link, we need something _NOW!"_

Biting back his anxiety, Link tore through his coat pocket for the _one_ thing that could have possibly stood a chance at reversing imminent death. He pulled out a potion filled with a glowing, rose-coloured liquid, which swirled with iridescent colours against the chilling dark of the room. "It's the Great Fairy's Tears," he breathed. "The most potent healing magic in Hyrule."

 _'I know this is going to sound heartless, Link… but you might end up needing that for yourself,'_ Midna reminded, from the shadows. _'Hyrule needs you to live. We've already lost Zelda-'_

"I don't care what happens to me in here, this is our best chance of saving him," Link growled, defiant.

"… We'll need to remove the arrows to close the wounds properly," Ashei warned him. "Who's it gonna be?"

She tore her gaze away from Shad and met Link's eyes, directly. Though he had single-handedly cut his way through the castle grounds, he hadn't obtained a single scratch from the ordeal. He'd proven that he was more than capable of getting his hands dirty. Yet, there was also an innocence in his eyes that never really went away. All the while, a slow and quiet panic had taken over him, as the parts that were prepared to do anything for Shad and the parts that feared hurting him more began to tear at each other. The seconds ticked by and he found himself drowning against the notion of putting the scholar through the worst pain of his life.

"… Alright," she decided, removing her gauntlets. "You'll need to support Shad. You'll be better at that."

Link handed her the Great Fairy's Tears as she moved around to Shad's side, propping him carefully against the wall before she cut the surrounding tatters of his shirt away. "This is going to be nasty. And if he goes under, we might lose him… so try to keep him with us, alright?"

"Whatever it takes," Link agreed. He took a sharp breath. And then, he summoned his most indestructible face. He crouched down before the embattled scholar, tempering his voice as best he could. "Shad? Shad, it's _me…"_

His love stirred again, far more weakly now. Some of the life returned to his eyes as the first, precious drops of potion trickled down into the punctures. They stemmed the bleeding upon impact, though the arrows held back the tide. "I'm here with you," Link assured, gripping onto his hand. "You have to stay awake! Come on!"

 _"Hnnn…"  
_  
Ashei shot him a warning glance over Shad's shoulder before she enclosed her fingers around the first of the arrows.

"You're alive! And you're doing well!" he encouraged. "This next bit, it's going to be really painful… but I want you to keep your eyes on me, okay? You're not allowed to look away."

"Link… what's… happening?" the scholar mumbled.

She felt around the base of the impact, holding her free hand down for support. And then, she neatly ripped out the first of the arrows, dousing the fresh injury in the Great Fairy's Tears. Shad screamed and shuddered as it came out, awakened from the haze of agony that weighed him down, threatening to take him under.

" _I know._ It hurts," Link said in hushed tones, pressing his forehead against his. "You can grab onto me, hit me, or swear, or whatever it is you need to do to make it easier, Shad. I'll be fine, promise."

A soothing, alien sensation began to take over the upper area of his shoulder where it had sunken in, neutralising the pain in cool tendrils. The relief alone was almost intoxicating. But there were still five more arrows to go.

"You're busy working on your next book, right? From when we went into the Sky. Aren't you looking forward to that?"

He shouted again as the second arrow came out, his voice echoing in the castle around them. The tears trickled once more into the unimpeded wounds, this time mending that _searing_ feeling that bore right into his chest. The magic took hold from the inside. Absently, he began to notice a sensation of lightness from within, where the bleeding must have encroached onto something vital. "Link, I don't know… if _I can…"_ he mumbled, delirious.

"You can make it through this! You _will_ make it through this! You're stronger than a couple of stupid arrows. What about the time you shot that Baba Serpent, huh? It was gonna drag me over the edge… but you saved me."

Eventually, Shad's screams turned into stifled groans, though he trembled wildly upon the removal of every inch of steel and wood. The further they went, the harder he flinched. It seemed his delirium was evaporating. Ashei's expression remained intense and focused, tuning out everything as she methodically pried the arrows from his body.

"You're doing great! We're over halfway there. Come on, Shad."

"L-Link… I must tell you… some _thi_ \- AGHHH!"

"… Sorry," Ashei said softly for the first time, dousing more of the potion on the most recent extraction site. Most of the tears were gone, and she'd struggled against using too much of them, _too_ quickly, in order to relieve his pain. Her fingertips that came into contact with the stuff were tingling oddly under the sensation, soothing, despite the awfulness of the scene before her. "Shad has something important for your ears. And he's been hanging on all this time to say it. Haven't you?"

The scholar stifled a whimper as he felt the rawness of his closed wounds pulling against the remaining ones. They were infinitely better. But they were still fragile in their condition. Even the slightest touch would send fire through him all over again. He looked up at Link for the first time, coherent in his ardour as he spoke the following words. "Link… I love you, so dearly," he confessed. "And I am… so sorry that this happened, old boy… I never wanted-"

 _"I love you, too."  
_  
The younger man gripped onto both his shoulders, pulled him close as he continued. "And you don't need to apologise to anyone. This is who you are! You're the kind of person who puts themselves in the firing line, who helps someone with no idea where they are, or what's going on. We were barely friends when you gave me your bed for the night! That's what I _always_ liked about you, Shad."

His hesitation to remove the arrows, which left them no choice but to the gamble with the scholar's life, filled him with shame. And it was all due to a single emotion - one he fought to suppress each time the conflict spilled onto those close to him - fear. Fear of hurting those he loved. And an innate, pervasive fear of his actions leading to even more ruin. But fear wasn't going to help the people in front of him.

Ashei removed the last of the arrow and tossed it loudly against the others on the floor - a collection of steel and wood soaked in blood. Then, the last precious drops of Fairy's Tears rained down over Shad's shoulder and back. His skin glowed in the dark, fading slowly into the gloom as the magic drew inwards. His voice eluded him and exhaustion kicked in. He rested silently in Link's lap, enjoying his first, relatively painless breaths of air.

The warrior frowned, finding herself wanting to collapse out of exhaustion. Her prior fight in the grounds had compounded this entire experience into a nightmare. After looking at her hands, she never wanted to clean herself off faster in her life. _'Goddesses… I never wanted this to happen.'  
_  
"Ashei, I think it worked," Link said, disrupting her thoughts. He wiped his tears away with his arm.

"… How is he?"

"Shad's stable, now. At least I think he is. He's breathing fine, anyway…"

Not wanting to take his word for it, Ashei looked down and studied Shad carefully, noting the return of colour to his face and the softness in his expression. The sight was almost as unbelievable as the wreckage she'd left in the eastern wing of the castle grounds.

"We _did_ it. YOU did it!" Link laughed, shakily.

He reached over and placed his arm around the warrior's shoulder, yanking her forward to plant a kiss on her temple. Any other time he might have stopped himself for the terror of meeting her knuckles or the edge of her weapons, but the respite from Shad's condition had overwhelmed them all. Unable to fight Link off, Ashei slumped against him willingly in defeat, finding that it was much comfier than the wall.

Though Shad was mostly unresponsive, he managed to reach out to her before she caught his hand in her own. They squeezed onto each other, without reservation, and eventually the scholar smiled. That handsome smirk belonged to the same person who had nearly ruined _everything_ by putting himself in the firing line, she told herself, while steadying the blush that threatened to ruin her secret. He was not to be let off the hook.

"If he really _is_ okay," Ashei began, "then I hope you won't mind if I chew him out later for doing something so stupid. I've never been more furious in my life."

"I'd… find that hard to believe," Shad chuckled.

"Link, I hope… you aren't too mad at me for what happened," she confessed, sober from the weight of her actions. "We were winning. We slaughtered their army in droves. But then everything went out of control when the monsters separated Shad from the rest of the group. I _tried_ to keep us alive-"

"Don't start… you saved my life multiple times, Ash," he interrupted. "… They were never going to shoot you while I was there."

"Ash?" Link ventured, feeling the urge to smile.

"It's new."

"It occurred to me… that the ones I love each have their own special names…" Shad reasoned, feeling the tiredness starting to creep back into his bones. "Hers was sorely missing. That is, if you don't find it distasteful…?"

"No." She shrugged. "It can stay. But nobody else can use that name."

Ashei felt Link gripping tightly onto her arm as he regarded her with his intense blue gaze, urging her to continue _._

 _'He took those arrows for you! He **loves** you! Aren't you going to be honest with him?'  
_  
But before she could even open her mouth, a noise scuffled from some distance ahead and drew her attention away. She immediately reached for her sword. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

The moment of pause had bought her some strength. And so, after taking a moment to slip her gauntlets back over her hands, the warrior rose to her feet and encroached carefully into the chamber ahead. After giving Shad a quick kiss and helping him to sit upright in the corner, promising to keep safe, Link ran after her, readying the Master Sword in his left hand.

"H-Hey! Careful," he called. Their element of surprise, gone. "… If you go deeper into the castle, you'll run into more enemies. You should take Shad with you and meet up with Rusl and Auru!"

Ashei ignored his protests as she studied the room, noting that they were in the midst of some lavishly designed hall. Its ceilings were higher than most of the buildings in town and flashes of lightning illuminated the room through the windows, exposing its sculpted marble railings and gold pillars. They stood upon a smooth, chequered floor, designed in an almost similar fashion to a games board, beneath several enormously sized crystal chandeliers. And mirrors glinted some distance away, presumably for the nobles to catch sight of themselves on the dance floor. For all the grandeur it must have housed over the centuries, it was reduced to nothing but a haunted shadow of its former self.

"We're in the ballroom," Ashei affirmed. "Sound travels differently in rooms like these but… I thought I'd heard someone."

"I could always sniff it out if there is," Link muttered, also looking around. He had only ever read about these kinds of places but he couldn't deny that the sight was impressive, even in the dark. "But wait, Ashei, you need to stop! You're completely wrecked. No offense. You should let me handle things from here."

 _Ah-!  
_  
But there it was again. _A whimper._ And this time, Link heard it.

"C'mon out!" he barked, his voice echoing in the room.

Against the deafening silence, the Master Sword began to shine with an unsettling blue light, causing even Midna to gasp in surprise. A deep chill began to take over room, creating a curtain of thick mist that gathered around their ankles. Link threw a sharp look over his shoulder at Ashei, whose amber eyes widened with instinctive horror, recognising the bite in the air. This was not the same sort of cold one might have embraced on Snowpeak Mountain. It was dark and _controlled,_ filled with malevolence as it sapped the strength out of their bones.

"Take Shad and get out of here NOW!" Link ordered. "I can handle this on my own! I'll be _okay._ Trust me."

Refusing to budge, the warrior was poised to attack with her sword.

A slight creak from the ceiling was their only tip-off for the chandelier that came crashing down from above, smashing all over the floor and forcing Link and Ashei apart as they scrambled to safety. She winced as she thudded hard onto her arm. And then gasped, unable to process what was happening, as the familiar pain from the wraiths came clawing back into it from the mist. There was the sound of a person clapping from the other side of the room.

 _"Well done,"_ came a deep voice, followed by red eyes that gleamed back at them through the dark. _"You would've disappointed me, if that worked."_

"Gotta try harder than that to kill me," Link taunted, standing some distance away from the wreckage.

After locking onto the enemy's position he blinked and immediately rubbed his eyes. He saw something else. Someone much brighter, standing in the shadow's grasp. All this time she had obeyed him, silently, out of fear. But the sight of her childhood friend sparked the storm of rebellion she carried within.

"Link! Be careful!" she shouted. "There's something WRONG with **him**!"

 _'Oh… Goddesses, no… not her, too.'_

"… Ilia?"

* * *

 **AN:** Ahhhhhh! T_T

This one was tough to write because I love these kids so much... but THEY'RE OKAY. WE'RE ALL OKAY. I HOPE? Thematically, I'd wanted to convey biting the bullet in order to save the people you love, rather than depicting pain or violence just for the hell of it. My apologies if this did not come across as intended. This crew's tough as nails, though!

Next chapter, we'll be dealing with everybody's favourite mini-boss from Ocarina of Time! That's right, the Iron Knu... erm, Dark Link.


	24. The Devil to Pay

**AN:** Wow, sorry for the wait on this one! Things got busy and it took a while for me to be satisfied with the quality. As a result, I've had to split this into two chapters (dw, the other one will be out _way_ sooner T_T) just to get everything I wanted down.

Also, how good is the latest Fire Emblem? ... Ehehe.

* * *

 **Chapter 24 - The Devil to Pay**

It had to be some apparition or some trick to his mind.

It couldn't have been Ilia up there. It _couldn't._ She was supposed to be safe in town, away from the conflict and the very least of his worries during the final mission. But after what had just happened to Shad, Link felt his reality shifting beyond control.

 _"Shall I introduce myself, then? It would only be polite. After all, you left the door to the Twilight wide open for me,"_ the creature offered.

"You usedthe Twilight Mirror?" His voice was heavy. "That thing I've been putting together all this time?"

'Impossible!'Midna shouted in Link's ear, though she sounded oddly rattled at this piece of information. 'I don't know how he did it but be on your guard, Link.'

The shadow's form began change before his eyes, materialising into a corporeal thing - a horrifyingly _real_ thing - comprised of bone and tissue. When it was all over, their antagonist looked alarmingly human. He possessed the same curtain of hair that hung over Link's eyes, in a shade of ashen grey instead of blonde, and he wore a multi-layered tunic with glints of chain mail and belt buckles. The eyes, which were perhaps the most unsettling feature of all, were wide and bright, though the scleras were inverted into shadow. They were a pale imitation of his youth, a lie that stared right into him, seething with pure hatred.

 _"Looks like you've failed to recognise me. However, it has been **quite** some time, Link. Once upon a time, we were one in the same body… yet, here we are now. As equals. Derivative of our common ancestor."  
_  
"The same? What the hell does that mean?"

 _"… It means that you may also call me Link."_

A smile played upon Dark Link's lips as he turned his attention to Ilia, away from his prey on the floor. She squirmed as he held her in place by the wrist, bringing his free hand to a spot under her jaw. He enjoyed the sensation of her pulse as it raced against him. "S-Stop it… you creep!" she shrieked. Her green eyes flashed back at him, furious, defiant, as she tried to twist out of his grasp. She'd wanted to cave his arm in at the elbow, exactly the way her father had taught her to do. If only she could get herself free. _  
_  
"YOU LET HER GO, NOW!" Link roared, his voice echoing in the cavernous room. "What do you want from us? From me?!"  
 _  
"Oh."  
_  
As though he had forgotten himself, the devil slowly turned to face him once again. His voice was deep. And it burned with an authority nearly reminiscent of the Hero's Shade, sounding more human with each word, rather than like a painful scratching against one's ears. "Why, I came all this way to make a deal with you." _  
__  
_"I don't make deals with monsters!" the hero spat back in disgust. "And I'm not whatever you think I am! But that won't stop me from destroying you… unless you release Ilia unharmed, _right now."_

"Still as quick to anger," Dark Link mused. "Though I will concede that you are different. Weaker, perhaps, than your predecessor who failed to kill me. So, won't you hear me out? You would be doing these petty humans a favour."

Taking advantage of the diversion, Ashei had begun to pick herself up off the floor, clenching her teeth through the ghostly pain that radiated throughout her right arm. There was something deeply unnatural about the mist blanketing the ballroom. It phased right through her armour and burned her skin underneath, awakening her past injuries. With some horror, she soon realised the implications of this for Link whose body was absolutely plastered in scars. And as for Shad, who had only _just_ escaped death from catching several arrows…  
 _  
Shad._

'I have to get him out of here.'

Evacuating him was the best thing she could do to help Link at the moment. The phantom from the mirror was a calculative and intelligent creature, unlike any of the monsters outside. After all they'd just endured in keeping Shad alive, the swordsman needed mental clarity if he were to ever defeat such a thing. Once their most vulnerable comrade was safe, she planned to return _,_ perhaps armed with the rest of the healing rations from the Resistance. The plan was formed. And it would be her final test of endurance.

"Ah, how considerate. You saved me all of the trouble of having to collect you!" Dark Link grinned, interrupting her thoughts as he looked to the distance.

 _'No.'  
_  
Ashei tightened her grip on her sword, scowling as she watched the scholar amble into the room, swaying with every step. Link's screaming had roused his attention, despite the fact that he was in no shape to be helping anyone.

"What in the blazes is going on here?" Shad questioned. He looked up. And then his eyes seized Ilia in the dark, caught in the upper reaches of the room. "You… release her this _instant!_ A-AGH…!"

Against his valiant nature, the scholar bent over in agony and clutched at his shoulder and chest. He staggered against the wall as the miasmic fog brushed against him, tired eyes widening as he took in several deep breaths.

"Mr Shad, is it?" Dark Link called out to him. "… If only I had you up here. I believe you'd fetch quite the price. I suppose it's not too late, if you should ever feel like putting that boy's love to the test?"

Ashei discarded her anger and immediately rushed to his side, her sword drawn, forehead pulsing with anger. "Over my dead body," she snarled. "You want him, you're gonna have to cut through me and Link. Good luck with that."

The demon's eyes glimmered with delight before a quiet laugh rumbled out of his chest, distorting his gravelled voice. "You are in no shape to be making threats, Miss Ashei. And unfortunately for you, I'm no longer contained in glass."

"Why couldn't you have stayed put?" she snapped at Shad, over her shoulder. "That THING is back and it wants to use you and Ilia as bait against Link!"

"Not that he'd ever fall for it," Ilia huffed. Dark Link looked to the human girl at his side and openly drank in her features, as though she were one of the oil paintings that hung on the wall. "He's the strongest person I know. You're just a _pretender."_

"… Is it strength that you admire?" he mused.

Before Ilia could say anything else, the phantom stepped away and then snapped his fingers. A sliver of dark and malevolent energy materialised in the air, narrowing into the shape of a blade. It honed in close. And then it stopped, eliciting a frightened gasp as the cursed steel pressed firmly against her neck. As much as the prospect of that weapon edging any closer terrified her, she refused to scream.

"Let's get down to business, then. Won't you summon the Twilight Princess, for me?"

Link felt his heart skip a beat. No one had ever spoken of his hidden counterpart so casually. She was supposed to be a secret, _his secret,_ not someone to be negotiated over. "We don't have to bring Ilia or Midna into this! … _Please!_ Let's sort this out, one-on-one. It's me you have some issue with, right? Well, I'm right here."  
 _  
_"The Twilight Princess…?" Ilia whispered. It sounded almost familiar. And then there, it was. Back at home. She had always considered Rusl's tales about the alternate world to be nothing more than allegory, some mere warning to all who lived in the Light against crossing its laws. Surely they had nothing to do with what was happening now?

"It's fine, Link. You don't have to protect me. I'm not scared and I've had enough of this guy's nonsense," came a new voice. Her words were unexpected, startling all in the room including the demon who eagerly awaited her presence. Ashei and Shad traced the voice from Link's vicinity, though oddly enough, there appeared to be nobody there. Even if a shroud obscured most of the room.

But then, they saw it. A small, feminine form stepped out of Link's shadow, with eyes that burned brighter than anything else in the room. The scholar drew in a sharp breath while Ashei simply stared, dumbfounded. Had this bizarre creature been hiding in their midst the entire time?

"Why don't you try using those knives on someone more up to your level?" Midna smirked. "Go on. **Try it**. There's more magic in me than in everyone here, combined."

"How kind of you to finally grant me an audience," the shadow seethed from across the room, his languid tone falling into one of contempt. "… Now that we're all here, my terms are as follows. You will hand over the Triforce of Courage and the Fused Shadows. Then, I might let this silly mortal girl go, along with all the others you've so carelessly dragged into this mess. After that, all of you are to leave this place."  
 _  
_Midna's voice rang out as she laughed back at him, callously. "What makes you think we would ever do something so sightless?" _  
__  
_"Because you do not DESERVE these relics!" Dark Link shouted, betraying his calm demeanour for the first time. _"You…_ who had her Kingdom stolen from her by a madman who carried the mere shadow of his master's powers! And you, _Link…_ who were simply born into your legacy without ever truly wanting it."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it?" the shadow taunted. He began to pace around Ilia, trailing his hand over her shoulder. Her eyes, which were wild with fright, grew still as they reached Link's. He gritted his teeth as he held her stare. "From all of the girl's memories, I saw nothing but a pathetic boy, chasing the dream of being as ordinary as the people around him! Such a fool does not deserve this power. In fact, you should be _grateful_ that I now offer you the chance to walk away. Wouldn't you agree that these tools should belong to the _only_ one with the power to stand against the Evil King?"  
 _  
_"Y-You mean… against Ganondorf?" Link faltered. "Why the hell would you wanna do that? Aren't you working for him?"

"Don't make me laugh!" The demon's eyes narrowed. He breathed, drawing upon all of his willpower to shut out the presence of the man upstairs. They stood at the source of a calamitous poison that radiated into the rest of Hyrule, a poison he could feel from its furthest reaches. One that continued to course its way through its veins, filling him with every incessant heartbeat. "I have outlived him, just as I have outlived _you._ And I will see my dignity restored as the true master of both realms!" __

"Oh, please. You're just as mad as the Evil King," Midna interrupted, rolling her eyes. "And I could snap my fingers and destroy you right now with the Fused Shadows. Do you wanna find out what happens when you stand in the way of my revenge?"

"Do you want to find out what happens when you lose the mind of your loyal, and beloved hero?" He grinned. And then his blade pressed harder against Ilia's neck, causing her body to stiffen with fear. She disconnected her thoughts, bracing herself for the final cut.

 _"That's enough!"_

"Remember, Link… this girl isn't like you or me, or your precious Zelda for that matter. She's one of a kind. In fact… if your weakling mother hadn't dragged you into her village that day, she wouldn't even be here."

"You won't do it. You'd lose your only bargaining chip," Midna bluffed.

But the blade edged closer, still. She gasped, loudly this time, as it broke the skin.

"MIDNA, STOP!" Link shouted. "Please, don't bait him any further!"

"Get a hold of yourself! We CAN'T afford to play his games!" she argued back, furious. "If you play, you let him win. A single life can't endanger the entire world. And there are two that hang in the balance! I have my own people to think about, Link. And you have the rest of Hyrule, on Zelda's behalf. She isn't here to fight for them."

"… She's right." Ilia sobbed. The sound of her voice wavering in the dark sent chills into the shaken hero. "You can't let him win. No matter what happens, I'm not important here…! _So just forget about me,_ alright? Do the right thing, Link. I… have never regretted our friendship."

"Ilia, stop talking like that!" he shouted again, holding back his tears. "I'll get you home! Just hang on!"

 _'The right thing.'  
_  
Link had silently begrudged the Goddesses for his fate. Yet, he found it intolerable when others paid the price. It had been too late for him to save Queen Rutela. Or the soldiers of Hyrule Castle who were besieged by the Twilight. Or even the Princess, who gave the last of her strength to save Midna. However, there was still _time_ for him to save Ilia and the others from this monster. There was still an opportunity to get everybody out alive. All he had to do was put his life on the table, instead.

The shadow was hungry for power, he'd noticed. A hunger that couldn't have been further from his own.

"If you really are that powerful, then why don't you prove it?" Link offered, drawing upon all of his willpower to pull himself together. Ilia needs you now, he told himself. You saved Shad and you can save her, too. "Let's fight. If you can take the Triforce of Courage from my body, then you deserve to face Ganondorf. It belongs to the one with the power to wield it… just like you said, right?"

"Hah! And if you can manage that, I'll even throw in the Fused Shadows in as a bonus," Midna shrugged, pulling a face at him. Of course, Link had known better than anyone that the Twilight Princess was not in the business of forgiving others. If this situation were to end with his life, then she would obliterate any who stayed in the way and head upstairs herself.

"I thought you might want to play these silly games," Dark Link admitted. "So… let us make it more interesting. You've been quite the overachiever this time around, roping even more pathetic beings into your battles. But on the surface, the odds seem hardly fair at the moment, wouldn't you agree?"

His searing eyes wandered over to Ashei and Shad, who had done their best to keep a low profile.

"We wouldn't dare interrupt! You seem to have this in the bag," the scholar acquiesced, flashing a crooked smile back at the demon.

A loud crack of thunder shook the windows before Dark Link returned the smile. And then, he _let go_ of his very form, twisting it into his most cruel trick yet. The air around him billowed with cold, foreboding energy, not unlike the portal and blade that he'd summoned from the shadows. A small window of darkness opened, and then closed. At first it seemed as though nothing had changed. Until Link realised there were now _three_ sets of red eyes glinting back at him in the night. All of which, belonged to the same, uncanny shape that had mimicked his own.

"That's how he did it," Midna breathed. "We never did capture the other Interlopers because they were just shadows of **him** , all along!"

Ashei swore quietly as she watched it happen, furious that she hadn't foreseen such a trap and escaped with their injured party member during their talks. All the while, Shad clung to his injuries, holding himself in a feverish state between her arm and the wall. He suspected that a battle might be on the horizon… but not with multiple Links to contend with. In their run-down condition, staying here looked to be nothing but a death sentence.

"If you can cut down each of my forms, you win," Dark Link announced. The ashen demon stepped back into his true, darker embodiment - void black with red eyes - matching the duplicates he had summoned.

Link's face contorted with anger, his features resembling more wolf than human. "Leave them out of this! They've got nothing to do with the Triforce or the Fused Shadows!"

"And ignore our guests? That would be rude." The shadow smiled. "Besides… don't you think my previous offer might be a little more viable, if I had that lovely scholar up here?"

Before the hero could protest again, the shadows leapt from the balcony ledge and dropped soundlessly onto the tiles below. Their leader drew his sword as he engaged with Link directly, cutting him off from his comrades. It hadn't escaped Link's notice that the weapon in his enemy's hand looked nearly identical to the now glowing Master Sword, but for its umber steel that flashed in the dark. Unlike his weapon, it seemed lifeless.

"RUN! Don't let him corner you!" he shouted to the others.

"Not so fast." _  
_  
Ashei gripped harder onto Shad as the twin shadows stood menacingly before them, blocking their exit. "Two against one?" she scoffed, eyes flitting between her foes as she held her sword ready. "Who's being unfair now?"

"You readily admit that he is weak. Even though your feelings for him are beyond your control." One of the shadows smiled at her. "Yes, it was apparent to me, even in the girl's memories. But you have piqued my curiosity, Miss Ashei. I began to wonder how long a brutish commoner like you might've lasted against my powers. Shall we finally put that to the test?" __

Shad stifled a noise that nearly sounded like a laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Oh dear, you really _shouldn't_ have brought me into this. Now there'll be nothing left of you to gloat at."

"Not before I capture you," the other shadow promised, as it honed in towards him. "You can make all the threats you like from up there."

He ducked in unison with Ashei as the shadow that held her attention swung its sword past their heads, creating enough of a diversion for the other to rush between them. After a minor scuffle with the scholar, the second shadow tackled him onto the tiles, pinning him down under the mists.

There, everything went cold at once.

Unlike the scaling heat from his injuries in the battle, the dark magic that blanketed him now was like a slow poison to the system, submerging him in waves that blurred nearly all feeling out. All that remained was an aching in his bones that drew sharper near the epicentre of his injures. If it hadn't been for the lingering magic of the Great Fairy's Tears, he imagined that the feeling would have crushed him entirely. He found himself gasping for breath. "Unhand… me… _n-now…_ you fiend!"

"It will end when you stop resisting me," it whispered into his ear. "Don't you want to see your precious Ilia again? And surely, you must be curious as to where you stand in Link's priorities. Would he surrender the destiny given to him in order to save you?"

"… N-Never…" Shad struggled. "Just as I will _never_ stop fighting you."

Vulnerable and defenceless, Ashei was forced to shut him out and lock all of her attention onto the copy of Link that stood before her. She drowned out the violent clash of steel from the _real_ Link in the background, as well as the pained noises that Shad emitted from nearby. This was a far greater challenge than ignoring the pain reawakened in her old injuries. If she were to survive this, too, then this monster demanded every last scrap of energy she had left to give.

"No concern for your friends?" he baited her.

"More concerned about your footwork," she said, dryly.

The warrior studied the phantom as he moved at a controlled pace, as though he were leashed, his sword poised to engage with hers at any given moment. She kept the antagonist at bay with her own unwavering stare, _daring_ him to make the first move so that she could deflect it and gain further insight into his movements. All the while she stepped, carefully, in opposition. Not wanting to give the measure of her own strength away.

Her exhaustion warped his movements as the shadow lunged forward, sweeping his blade through the air from her lower right. Ashei deflected the attack slower than she would've liked and took a step backwards from the strangeness of the angle. She would have to adapt, fast.

 _'Damnit…_ of course he's left-handed, like Link.'

The dark blade whistled in her direction, again and again, as she blocked his swings with a firm but stilted stance, drawing her strength from the floor in an effort to save energy. "Ganondorf teach you how to fight?" Ashei taunted.

"Did your Goddesses teach you the way of the sword?" the shadow snarled in response. "Or did they merely drag you into existence without a care for what happens to you, or your world?"

Pacing fast against him now, she noticed how his movements were merely _similar_ to Link's. The creature moved with a confidence that set him apart from the original and his steps were a touch on the heavier side. In contrast, the Link _she_ knew was light-footed, clumsy, and prone to using his body to shoulder the blows rather than relying on the equipment. Perhaps, a lingering trait from his days on the farm.

"Do they take delight in your failures?" he continued. "Just as my master did, when he abandoned me?"

His sword clashed loudly with hers again. And Ilia flinched as the sound reverberated against the walls. She couldn't shut them out - not again, after everything that had happened. And so, she closed her eyes, clinging to her memories with the Resistance as though the threads of their love were all that stopped the blade. _They_ were her safe space. _Her home. And she could not give up on them, now._

Meanwhile, Link glared at his enemy over the steel of the Master Sword. An animalistic fury had eaten his fear, and he was far beyond pity for the creature.

Dark Link lurched forward - in a manner far more reckless than his shadows - and crossed blades with the hero in a frenzy of stabs. Each shot glanced off the blue steel of the Master Sword as it illuminated the space around them. Unlike the others, the swordsman hadn't endured a single scratch from outside, and certainly had the stamina to keep up. However, his biggest weakness was an overall lack of visibility beyond the ring. Not being able to see Shad at _all_ had flooded him with cold fear.

'Goddesses, I can't let him be taken!'

As the mist thickened, he felt the ice burns that had gnawed into his legs at the Snowpeak Mansion awaken in his body. Next, came the bite marks from Deku Babas and Stalhounds he'd amassed from his journey. The ghost of a Darknut's blade slashed across his midsection. He knew he could not let himself fall down. Submerging himself into the cold would've been a different experience entirely, one that he was not interested in discovering for himself.

"You know… you really _don't_ deserve these little friends of yours," Dark Link tormented, as his blade came rushing down again.

"At least I didn't have to make mine out of magic!"

After blocking his latest attack, Link wrenched his sword free and went to swipe it across his enemy's midsection. He dragged it up from an angle far lower than what he was accustomed to, hoping to catch the demon by surprise. But then, in an equally startling display, the dark swordsman leapt into the air and landed _directly_ on top his blade - stopping it in its tracks. Before Link had the chance to react, his enemy flipped backwards and kicked him square in the face, clouding his vision with white dots.

"AGH!"

"Consider Ilia's perspective for just a moment," Dark Link continued mercilessly, before the hero could get his bearings. "A sweet girl who wanted nothing to do with this war. And yet, you went and died right in front of her. You _let_ them take her away. Tonight isn't the first time you've utterly failed."

Their blades clashed again, though this time Link reacted far more slowly, blinded by the sharp pain in his nose.

"If only you'd been there to help, instead of following the whims of the Twilight Princess. Perhaps that is the reason why she prefers the company of your dear scholar?"

"That's rich, coming from someone who draws her all day!" Link shouted back at him. "That's right, I saw those pictures. You're obsessed with Ilia, aren't you? You pretend to be this all-powerful being… when really you're just like everyone _else!"_

"… All day?" Dark Link laughed, with just a hint of incredulity in his tone.

He dashed forward once more, poised to stab at the hero who managed to raise his shield in time. The blow bounced off, distracting him, just as the shadow ghosted out of sight. "… Let me tell you a little secret, Link," he said quietly from behind, raising all of the hair on his arms. "I have watched you from the moment you and the girl carried that mirror into your basement."

"You _what?!"_

Link whirled around to strike him, hitting nothing but air. The demon's eyes smouldered back at him some distance away.

"When you were born into this world, the mark on my hand came alive once again. It was an old pain. A familiar pain. But one that never truly went away." Dark Link tilted the back of his sword hand to face the hero, showing off an inverted mark of the Triforce that pointed downwards. "I spent the rest of my days scouring the fragments of your realm… until one day, I finally **found** you. A simple farmhand, of all things, along with the girl. But until the Evil King made his move… there was little else I could do. I waited and watched… until finally, I saw my opportunity. You fixed the portal. And now, the rest is history."

Link's veins coursed with rage as he struggled to blot out the very worst of his fears, one that had threatened to drown him from the inside, before. He wished to the Goddesses that it wasn't true. That he _hadn't_ doomed everyone who came into contact with him. But it was difficult to argue against the string of misfortune that shadowed him since birth. It had taken away his parents, his village and now, finally, it threatened to snuff out the love he had forged in this war.

He clung to the memories in an effort to stem the tide, frightened for the first time that they would be taken away. He wanted to go _on_ sleeping in Shad's arms. He wanted to stay for Ilia, as she grew from her traumas, into the woman he knew she'd be. And he longed for a time when he could fight alongside Ashei in the new world. 'When will it end...?'

"Whatever becomes of you today, Link… you deserve to know my happiness that we could finally meet again." The shadow smiled, drinking in the fear and anger he could see in the hero's eyes. "You've made this reunion possible."

"… Shut up. _I don't want to know any more!"_

And then, Link stepped forward, smacking his sword loudly against Dark Link's in a show of defiance over valour.

The battle began to lose shape and sense.

Link watched as the dark sword swung at him again, clashing noisily against the Hylian Shield. In a stroke of inspiration, he gritted his teeth and then bashed it _hard_ against his antagonist. Dark Link fell to the floor in a moment of shock, only just rolling out of the way as he stabbed the ground. Once the shadow was back on his feet, he deflected the arrows that sailed towards him, leaving him open to a back slice. A surge of adrenaline took hold of the hero as the Master Sword connected with his enemy.

Until now it had been like fighting a mirror, one that was adept in magic that he was sorely lacking. But what truly set him apart were his lessons from the Hero's Shade. It appeared that his adversary hadn't been the only one capable of carrying a grudge.

"We were never equals," Link snarled as he charged a spin attack. He knocked Dark Link back down, almost immediately. "Because you're driven by jealousy, hatred and pain. You don't know what love is. And your sword will never be as strong as mine… because you _lack_ courage."

The shadow cried out as the Master Sword struck him again, choking back tears of agony as the blue steel electrified his body.

"Even if you took my Triforce from me, it'd be useless. Without love or anything worthy to fight for, you're just a puppet of your master! And you're still doing what he wants you to do!"

Dark Link staggered to his feet, lurching backwards as his adversary closed the space between them, his innocent face flashing in the light of the storm from outside. For a split second, he could have sworn that he saw a haggard appearance imposed upon his features. He wore his bones on the outside, cracked and weathered in the winds of time, his eyes mirroring his own in an echo of red, seething hatred.

 _"No."_ He choked. _"It's_ **_him…_** _I can't lose to him, again. I **won't**."  
_  
And then, drawing deep a breath from the mist, the demon altered his shape again. His bones snapped and cracked, elongating as he took the form of a great beast, a solid, black wolf. He let out a howl that caught the others in the room off-guard, including Shad who struggled to see anything from where he was trapped.

In turn, Midna was unsettled by the savage look in Link's eyes. He knew what needed to be done, despite the fact that they were not alone in the room. After all, a human was no match for a beast.

"Throw it to me!" he demanded.

"Link…" she began, reaching hesitantly for the Shadow Crystal. "… Hang in there, alright? Trade me for the lantern."

"A useless trinket? What are you planning?" Dark Link snarled. He was rabid, ears flattened. "Remember, if you so much as _breathe_ in my direction with those Fused Shadows, I'll end the girl's life!"

"Yet, you're totally unthreatened by these humans you've decided to torture? Poor call on your part," the Twilight Princess shrugged, reverting back to her careless tone. "If I've learned anything about them, it's that they're incredibly useful in a pinch. You'll see."

No longer in the mood for asking questions, Link unclipped the lantern from his belt and then skated it over to Midna across the floor, having forgotten the fact that it was ever there. In return, she tossed the Shadow Crystal to Link, who caught the rope in his hands and placed it around his neck.

Ilia gasped as Link's body faded into the night and shifted in front of her - contorting in some otherworldly manner, beyond the comprehension of any of Shad's books. His limbs melded into four powerful legs and his stature fell to the ground. When the moment had passed, she saw that he, too, had taken the form of a wolf. He snapped his jaws and lowered his head in a vicious display, readying his fangs for the clash ahead.

"W-What's happening?!" she shouted. _"Link?"_

The grey wolf looked up at her briefly, his blue eyes regarding hers with silent appraisal.

Confident that the hero could handle himself for a while, Midna took the opportunity to turn her attention away from the wolves and back to Ashei and Shad… who were struggling without any assistance.

At this point, Ashei's armour had taken even more of a beating and she had amassed several new injuries, all of which ached terribly in the cold, like bones badly healed. Her mind flashed back to the dire situation in Snowpeak, where her odds of surviving were dropping lower by the second. But she wasn't about to quit, just because Link couldn't save them this time.

"Give in," the shadow hissed.

"… I've figured out your weakness, y'know," she said, panting, and no longer willing to hide her bruised and bloodied exhaustion.

"Oh? This should be good."

"From the moment you took your blade to mine… and went _on_ with your superiority complex… all you ever did was prove how different you were to Link." The warrior scowled. "Huge mistake, really, 'cause he's a difficult person to figure out. And much faster than you on a good day."

"But it won't save you now," the shadow promised. "You're on your last legs, Miss Ashei. All that remains is the killing blow."

The shadow ignored his surroundings as he slowly closed the gap between them, his red eyes burning mercilessly as he readied his sword. She had made him work for it, that much was obvious. But their game was beginning to wear thin and now he hungered for an end. Ashei stepped back as he advanced, until finally, they were mere paces from the wall. It was far enough, she decided. There would be no more running after this.

"Maybe we could've proven who was better… if we'd had a fair fight," she smirked. "… Guess we'll never know now, huh?"

"Fairness? This is why you foolish humans are so weak. Your chivalry won't get you out of this, girl-"

 _'Got you.'  
_  
And then, mid-sentence, she whipped out her crossbow. He moved to block his face before she fired an arrow into the ceiling, dislodging the chandelier that hung above them. A split second of confusion was all it took for gravity to win over the reflexes of the monster, who had seemed _so_ confident with himself up until a terrible explosion of metal and glass crushed him against the floor. Not trusting to take her eyes off of him for a second, Ashei watched as the ghastly outline of Link fell under the weight and then burst away, scattering into the night like fragments of twilight. The sound that followed was like a gasp of air, one painfully quiet to her ears against the ringing crash.

As far as she could tell, he was gone.

Meanwhile, oblivious to his surroundings, Shad could feel the bite of the arrows taking hold of his nerves once more. He had _struggled_ against his captor. But it was no use. He could scarcely move to free himself under the mist, especially with his arms twisted behind him. With the magic of the Great Fairy wearing thin, he knew that it was only a matter of time until the pain won… either driving him mad, or making him beg for relief.

'… I must _hold on…_ _for Link…'_ he reminded himself, eyes scrunched shut. 'I can't… let this monster win.'

"Haven't you had enough?" the shadow taunted. "I promise I'll take good care of you, if you stop fighting me."

"Honestly…? This is nothing…" Shad smirked up at him, in spite of himself. "I once had a book case… crash right on top of me, as a boy… and it never shook my enthusiasm for reading. Just as you'll never shake me… from him."

"Perhaps I'll just have to try harder, hm?"

But then suddenly, Shad felt the grip upon him loosened.

The scholar's first assumption was that the shadow was only _pretending_ to release him, toying with him, through some cruel joke. And so, he waited, holding his breath in trepidation. It wasn't until he saw Ashei tackle his tormenter to the ground right next to him - her armour rattling loudly in the scuffle - that he realised what had happened.

 _"You don't touch him, EVER!"_ she snarled, grabbing the shadow by the shoulder and then driving her blade into its core. The dark creature struggled in her grasp - hissing and writhing - until finally, it fractured into pieces and left nothing but air in its place. Shad felt himself lifted to his feet, taking one long moment to recalibrate himself before he could act. All the while, Ashei combed her eyes over the scholar, searching him for injuries or any other signs of misconduct.

"What did he do to you?!"

"… N-Nothing… really." He coughed, loudly. "Apart from holding me under that cursed fog! Goddesses… I don't know if I could've taken much more of that. _Thank you."_

When it was his turn to inspect the warrior, he nearly reeled backwards in shock. In his mind, Ashei was forever one of those people who seemed untouchable. The type of person who would break before they ever bent. Certainly, Dark Link and the Bulblin army had tried. But now, she was coated in grazes and scratches, bleeding through the dirt and ash from the garden. She swayed in place, breath ragged. "Ash, you look-"

"No time," she grunted, swatting his hand away. And then, her gaze softened, wavering from the anger that had kept her on her feet all this time. "… You have to get out of here, Shad. I _can't…_ do this again. Link needs you safe. We both do."

"But… Ilia! Ilia still requires our help! And where in the blazes is Link?" Shad gasped. Adjusting his glasses, the scholar peered back up at the balcony where their friend stood, held by the cold knife that threatened to undo the hero. The two wolves circling each other below had suddenly caught his eye. "Wait… surely not. _Is that **him**?!" _

"Link's a wolf! I thought you knew!" Ashei snapped impatiently, shaking him out of his thoughts. "And did I stutter? I said you need to leave! Now!"

"No!" he shouted. "I refuse to go anywhere until we've saved Ilia from that monster! … Link needs us, right now. And you… you're _unstoppable._ We can do this if we put our heads together! I know it!"

"That's the spirit," Midna interjected.

The two humans stopped short of their argument to face the strange creature that had addressed them. Without wasting a second, Ashei stepped in front of the scholar and then drew her sword, pointing it at the devious imp, despite her own startled expression.

"Oh, come on. I'm not _that_ hideous."

Shad blinked slowly before he nudged her blade aside with his fingers, attempting to recall the title Dark Link had referred to her as. "I, erm… don't mean to be rude, miss but… am I to believe that you are the…?"

"Twilight Princess," Midna sighed.

The warrior frowned, looking entirely unconvinced, until she remembered Link mentioning a protected identity during the Snowpeak assignment. Seeing her now, Ashei understood why. If she had encountered someone like Midna on the streets without any context she might have guessed that this were some monster that needed to be slain.

"You're our ally, correct?" she questioned.

 _"Duh._ And I'm trying to get your precious girl back."

"You have a plan?" Shad beamed at her, entirely unperturbed by the imp's outlandish appearance.

Midna rolled her eyes before turning her full attention onto the scholar. "Yes, yes! Glad one of you is catching on. Now, listen carefully! I need _you_ to take this lantern. There's a torch in the corner that'll activate the rest of the lights once it's lit. That'll take care of all this annoying fog. Wait for my signal though, got it?"

He accepted the task with a thankful nod, determined to banish the sea of pain that now lapped at his ankles.

"And you, soldier girl. You seem the most agile… so won't you climb up those rafters for me? I'll need to be on your back. Get as close to the girl as you can."

"… Easy, yeah?" The warrior winced, her head spinning as she assessed the height involved. "But… don't you see there's a knife at Ilia's throat? What are you planning to do about that?"

"Keep your voice _down,"_ Midna hushed. "And yes, I see it. Just trust me."

* * *

 **AN:** Aww, Midna is finally getting the interaction she's always wanted with these silly humans! That is, until she gets to meet Zelda again. ;) The final part of this conflict is coming! Thank you for waiting!


	25. To the Hilt

**Chapter 25 - To the Hilt  
**  
Shad shuddered with fright as the wolves clashed, his mind torn away from the plan at hand. The violence that erupted between them was like nothing he'd ever seen and it paled in comparison to any of the wolf stories from his colleagues. Even more jarring was the fact that one of these beasts was, apparently, the man he loved. 'By the gods… I simply can'tbelieve that it's him.'

But there was no question Ashei had been telling the truth about Link. He was nowhere else to be seen. And he would sooner _die_ than abandon them to such danger.

It went on. Shad bit down hard on his lip, just as the grey wolf slipped out of the darker one's jaws. Fortunately, Link's strange markings made him that much easier to see in the dark, while Dark Link was barely detectable to human eyes. The scholar soon found himself wondering just _how_ alien the world might've looked through that keen nose and those sharp ears. He flinched as Link clipped his enemy on the shoulder, canines _crunching_ as they tore away fragments of shadow.

"Hell-ooo?" Midna prompted. "Are you done gawking?"

"Oh… uh, m-my apologies," Shad stammered. "It is… just a bit of a shock, is all."

"He's far better like this, to be honest. Faster. Stronger. Not much in the way of backtalk."

"You can discuss that later!" Ashei hushed. "We've gotta act now if we're gonna save Ilia, yeah? The stealthier, the better."

Link's ears pricked up as soon as he heard the others splitting away.  
 _  
'Did they manage to kill the shadows?'_ he wondered.

As hopeful as he was, he hadn't dared to look in their direction for longer than a second. All he could do was pray that the monster wouldn't catch wind of their movements. Despite Dark Link's unnerving fixation on Ilia, Link fully believed his promises to end her life if he caught Midna interfering their duel. He was _exactly_ the type of person to destroy the things he couldn't have.

 _'What the hell is taking them so long? You're free now, so run!'_

Against his frustrated attempts to urge them on, Link soon realised that Ashei and Shad had to be hanging around deliberately. There was no other explanation for how long they were taking to leave. His nose detected the strange mixture of blood, sweat, steel and cologne permeating from the humans, tempting him to herd them out of the castle himself. But panicking and rushing over there would've only dragged them into the path of the black wolf. He held on to the hope that Dark Link's senses weren't as fine-tuned as his in the world of Light.

"Why do you insult me with your half-hearted attempts?" the shadow barked. "Am I not worthy of your effort?"

Link was dragged back to the battle, leaping out of the way as he dodged those hungry, snapping jaws. He took off to the side, inwardly cheering as the enemy gave chase. Then, just as Dark Link had him cornered, he launched himself off the wall and landed some distance away. His only goal was to turn Dark Link away from the others, to pull those red eyes towards him and nothing else.

 _'Yes! Look at me, you bastard.'  
_  
The shadow was in no longer in the mood for talking as he lunged forward again, barging Link aside and diving onto his neck in the brief window of vulnerability. The grey wolf slipped from his grasp, as always, driving his hunger onward.

 _'That's right! I'm the one with the Triforce! I'm the reason Ganondorf disowned you! It's **me** you really want.'  
_  
Shad couldn't have envied Ashei for the job of climbing onto the balcony from the ground floor. But even in her embattled and weakened state, he'd known that she still would have outperformedhim. With Ilia's life on the line, there was simply no space for his ego. Now, Shad faced down the very sobering prospect of sneaking past the wolf fight, undetected. He shuddered deeply at the thought of what could've gone wrong if he were caught. Perhaps he might find himself in the shadow's jaws. Or even worse, find himself responsible for their defiance being taken out on Ilia.

"… I will not abandon her. After all she has survived, this is nothing," Shad told himself, inaudibly. The scholar kept to the wall as he advanced, slowly, through the dark, hoping that the wolves were too busy fighting to pay any notice. "… I promised her and Link that I would be there. No matter what happens, I must _try."_ _  
__  
_Link's heart began to race as he detected that very familiar scent of perfume mixed with blood, noting how much closer it was from before. Fear replaced anger upon the realisation that Shad had put himself into danger again, his emotions eating away at his sanity.

 _'His attention! You have to keep his attention!'_ Link reminded himself. At this point, the voice inside his head had begun to sound strangely like Midna.

… Midna. Who had vanished some time ago, with his lantern. Was this her doing? He wondered.

The black wolf caught Link in his moment of negligence, crashing towards him and then latching onto his side. He felt the ground slipping beneath his claws as the beast shook his body, wedging its fangs even deeper into his midsection. All he could do was cry out as he dug his feet into the tiles, clinging desperately to the polished surface in an effort to free himself. His teeth longed for the chance to counter-attack, hungering to tear strips off the shadow until it was nothing. The human scent only drifted closer. Link shut his eyes, wishing that the nightmare could be over.

 _'Shad… I… didn't want you to see me like this, either.'  
_  
The scholar paused some distance away in the dark, stilling his nerves as the grey wolf yelped in pain. He drew in a sharp breath as the black wolf shook him again, and again, emitting a low enough growl to wake the dead.

 _'Go!'_ Link wanted to shout at him. _'Don't just stand there, keep going! Do whatever it is you needed to do and then get out of here!'  
_  
But Shad couldn'tbear to watch anymore. He had endured hell watching Ashei injure herself, tirelessly, to keep him alive. Allowing Link to do the same was torture.

 _'He hasn't noticed you yet… you'll be alright, if you just hurry.'  
_  
He knew that intervening meant blowing their cover and endangering Ilia even more. And that Link would have hated him for his involvement. However, his previous brush with the shadow alerted him to another possibility. For all the boasting Dark Link had done, it seemed that what mattered most to him was depriving Link of his loved ones… therefore, it was entirely feasible that the shadow was more invested in capturing or chasing him. It could've bought Link the advantage he needed. All he needed to do was stay _alive_ until Midna signalled for the torches.

Shad had flirted with death once before but this time it wasn't about shouldering the killing blow. Now, it was about delaying death, for as long as possible, redirecting its gaze onto him until Link could turn the tides. He looked into the eyes of the injured wolf, struck by the familiar blue of the skies. It gave him all the courage he needed.

"Here I am, you great ugly fiend!" he called out, proudly. "Are your senses as dull as your mind? Thinking that you ever really stood a chance against Link? Preposterous!"

Link immediately snapped at him, barking so loud it pierced into the ears of all in the room.  
 _  
'NO! What are you doing?!'_

"… Oh, but what is _this?"_ Dark Link growled. As predicted, he released Link, however begrudgingly. His bloodied jaws met together as they formed into a grin. Though Shad were relieved, it was easily the most unnerving thing he had ever seen an animal do. "You had the opportunity to run and yet you've gone and thrown yourself at me. I should be flattered! But I'm afraid my previous offer has been revoked. I will no longer barter for your safety. Instead, he can fight me for the scraps!"

"Assuming that they're yours to give," Shad taunted, doubling down on his efforts to distract the beast from Ilia. Although, he knew instantly that he would regret saying that.

 _'SHAD-'  
_  
As Dark Link lunged for the scholar, who was little more than a flightless bird in comparison to his might, Link smashed into him from the side. Then, he dragged him to the ground, sinking his fangs into the beast's back. The hero fought harder than ever to keep him down, using every ounce of weight and muscle he carried to stop the wolf from leaping. Cringing at his miscalculation, though terribly relieved to have freed Link, Shad then sprinted for the torches on the other side of the ballroom, keeping his eyes trained on the balcony where Ilia was held.

He chewed his lip again, caught in a slow and silent panic, as he awaited the signal to light the room.

"Your friend knows three languages but the word 'stealthy' escapes his understanding!" the imp chastised as she watched the chaos unfolding below them.

"… Three that you _know_ of…" Ashei corrected, struggling to get a foothold on one of the corbels under the balconies. Her plan was to climb onto the lowest one before crossing the wall towards Ilia. So far, she had managed to haul herself onto the first level by scaling one of the columns from the ground floor. Although it seemed not very far in comparison to the ceiling, the truth was that they'd nearly ascended the height of the tavern. "Ugh… that idiot doesn't know when to quit. I'll end him myself… when we're done."

"You're almost there," Midna encouraged.

Ashei was relieved to discover that having the imp on her shoulders was no extra weight at all, which was just as well because she had scarcely been able to support herself on such a finicky surface. Once she climbed onto the lower balcony, she looked up to the next one, finding that Ilia was obscured by the angle. The warrior took in a slow, deep breath before pushing herself further along the wall, ignoring the sweat and blood as it streaked down her face.

"Just a little further. Come on, soldier girl."

"I'm _trying…_ this is harder than it looks," she scowled at their co-conspirator, teeth gritted in agony as she took the final steps.

And then finally, she saw her.

She discovered Ilia in an almost meditative state with her shoulders hunched and eyes closed, seemingly resigned to whatever was going to happen. Just as she thought she'd heard something, her adrenaline levels spiked and her eyes fluttered open. She noticed the sheen of Ashei's hair and armour, along with two orange eyes, some distance away from the platform. With excruciating effort, Ashei brought a finger to her lips in a silencing gesture before latching back onto the wall, her steel fingers curling tightly around a lion's head.

'It's okay. I've got you,' she wanted to say. 'Link, Shad, Telma and Rusl are waiting… so I'm going to get you out of here, even if it's the last thing I do.' But all she could manage was a pained smile.

Ilia could only glance in their direction, afraid of holding their attention for too long, before she closed her eyes again and permitted her tears to escape. It hurt to see just _how_ relieved she was at the prospect of being rescued, her face relaying all of the terrified emotion she'd bottled in front of her captor. Ashei found herself wishing that they'd gotten there sooner but all she could do now was dig her heels into the wall. And **_not look down_** as she sidled towards her.

The warrior collected her thoughts as she ventured out onto the ridges of the wall, clinging to its gaudy sculptures for dear life. She was certain she'd heard Shad cry out from below as the wolves tangled again, their feral snarls echoing in the empty chamber. 'There's a fight going on down there…' she recalled, absently, '… but you need to keep your head up _here,_ if you want to survive _._ '

Making this climb would have been challenging on a good day but after all of the fighting, Ashei could no longer hide the trembling in her fingers. Her legs and arms required some sort of mechanical effort to operate, pushed beyond the point of pain and into pure lethargy. It felt as though the ground were tipping towards her, the world spinning even harder each time her eyes were closed.

'If you fall, it's all over. For Ilia… Link and Shad… for everyone. You didn't spend your whole life training just to be done in by some idiot's choice of interior!'

"Yes, that's it! Just a few steps more and then it's time!" Midna promised, rubbing her shoulder gently.

"… Hurry up… and do it quick, yeah? I can't stay here forever."

On the ground floor, Shad shouted as he dodged the maw of the black wolf. He stuck close to the torch that Midna had pointed out to him from across the room, hoping that it would shield him just as desperately as he wished for the signal to come. Link picked himself off the ground from nearby, now sporting several deep bite wounds in his grey coat. He launched himself into the air before tackling their antagonist once again, tearing shreds of shadow away from his neck area. He growled deeply from his chest, enlivened by every mournful cry from the darker wolf as it tried to shake him free.

Shad had noticed that their fight was no longer like a weighty duel between two bitter enemies, sizing each other up before every strike. It had unravelled into a messy clash of tooth and nail with one wolf trying to grab at him while the other defended and disarmed. The mist danced and churned along the floor with their attacks, dampening the smell of wild dog that reached his nostrils.

"Yes! Fight me like you _mean_ it!" Dark Link rasped. "Why hold back, before? You could've ended this much sooner."

Link refused to let up before he sprang at the enemy again, keeping him down to buy Shad more time.

 _'You could've ended this sooner too… but you haven't 'cause you're enjoying every second of it,'_ he thought, snarling with disdain. ' _Which is exactly what I want. I'll make you forget all about the others.'_

He went hurdling forwards as Dark Link shook him off. The mark of the Triforce on his paw glinted brightly in the dark, catching the demon's eye before before it sank his teeth into his front leg. The dark wolf crunched down with all of his might, wanting to tear the relic from Link's body for daring to refuse his bargain.

"Hey!"

With some mixture of terror and admiration, Link watched as Shad stumbled to his aid with the now-lit lantern, swinging it violently towards the shadow. The reds in his eyes immediately shrank away, turning pale in their abhorrence. However, this time Dark Link _refused_ to let go. His jaws were locked as Link slashed furiously at his underside, digging into the shadow with his claws. The scholar felt the temptation to smash the instrument into his face _then and there_ , wanting to set the beast alight for everything it had done to them.

But then he looked up to see a fiery hand signalling to him from across the room, hidden in the upper reaches of the walls. "The signal!"

With no small amount of effort, he turned away from Link and swiped the lantern over the nearby torch - watching with awe as the haunted room came to life. The fire on caught quickly, breathing a warm and cleansing light into the numerous torches that lined the railings and walls.

The surviving chandeliers lit up one by one, trailing their way towards Midna and Ashei who waited anxiously for this moment. As strange as it was, the warrior briefly remembered the night Telma and Ilia had gone missing from the tavern, its brightness snuffed out under the heel of the war. She'd held onto the wall tighter as the moment approached.

The Twilight Princess had only seconds to act if that animal from her prison cell had truly been born in the Light…

"Here we go!"

 _"No… NO!"  
_  
Dark Link immediately released his hold on Link's leg. He growled and backed away as the harshness of his surroundings bore into his mind, flooding his senses beyond their limit.

Somehow, this had felt _so_ much worse than the moment he'd emerged in the desert. Out there, he had clung to the shadows as the moon crept over the hills, concealed himself from the sun's rays in every cave and crevasse he could find. His journey to the castle hadn't come easily and as a consequence of living in murkiest corners of Light and Twilight, he never felt quite at home in either. The shadow's body began to burn as his bestial form weakened, reverting back into its human shape.

All the while, the knife he had conjured and held at Ilia's throat flickered in the distortion, ebbing into thin air as he struggled to hold the magic. The human girl felt her heart beating fast, invigorated by the promise that her situation was changing.

"AHHH!"

Ilia screamed as she found herself caught within something _else -_ a powerful hand that had grabbed her around the waist and whisked her off the balcony. Ashei swore loudly as she swayed in the commotion, her fingers nearly slipping from the ledge she'd buried them into. She suddenly shouldered the weight from Midna's heist and glared up at the imp with wild, frightened eyes. All three of them were now wholly dependant upon her ability to climb.

"You could've _warned_ me of what you were doing!"

"How else did you think I'd get her down?!" Midna struggled, using her strength to carry Ilia without the aid of magic. "Tell her to stop shouting or my plan won't work!"

"Get me DOWN from here!" Ilia resisted the urge to start _hitting_ the strange hand away, which felt surprisingly like living hair wrapped around her midsection. The only thing that calmed her was the sight of Ashei as she now stood, precariously suspended, in the air.

"Shh! You're safe!" the warrior hissed, though truthfully she was feeling just as out of her depth. "But stay quiet! I'll try to get us down in one piece, yeah? Just… everybody hang _on."  
_  
"Alright, the easy part's over." Midna gave a sigh as she turned her head back and forth, inspecting the human girl in the new, vivid light. Ilia merely looked back at her with a startled expression, covering her mouth to stop herself from screaming at the ungodly height they were stuck on. She noticed that the imp was assessing her in some devious manner. "Now, how did I do this before?"

Meanwhile, Link felt a resurgence in his strength as the cursed mist shrank away, dying under the lights that flooded the room from every corner. He hadn't realised until now just _how_ badly his injuries had been holding him back.

In opposition, Dark Link screamed as he dug his fists into the ground, watching as his own body began to betray him. His feet, once heavily laden with claws, blunted down into fingers. He felt his weight shifting, pulling in towards his ribcage as his sharp ears dwindled down into those of a Hylian's. Against his thirst for power he had been reduced to nothing but his most basic form. Midna recalled the exact moment her body was nearly bleached out of existence and grinned, wishing every ounce of pain onto the wretched shadow.

However, as predicted… he began to stabilise. And now, all he had at his disposal was a single hostage.

Link shook the Shadow Crystal free from his neck and reverted back to his human form, carrying all of the scuffs from their previous deadlock. As a creature of Light he now carried the upper hand, a sobering fact that hadn't been lost on his enemy.

"GET BACK!" Dark Link snarled, drawing his sword as he retreated. "GET BACK OR I'LL KILL THE GIRL!"

"And which girl is that?"

The demon threw a look to the balcony where he had stashed Ilia, his temper flaring upon the realisation that she'd gone missing. He then turned his gaze down to the floor, where Ashei taunted him, struck by the most infuriating thing had ever seen. There were now _two_ Ilias standing side-by-side. They wore the same alarmed expression as they peered back at him.

 _"… Twilight Princess,"_ he spat.

Unwittingly, Midna had used his own disguise trick against him. And she had nailed the look right down to Ilia's thicket-green eyes. It took the rest of her willpower _not_ to play up the helpless human angle by fainting or screaming, just like she'd done to Link when they first started working together.

"Link, are you hurt?" she gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"Get _away_ from him, you monster!" the other Ilia huffed, glaring venomously at their attacker.

Shad blinked and rubbed his eyes, feeling slightly ashamed that he couldn't discern between the two for himself. The ploy was perfect. And deliciously underhanded. "Oh, my."

 _"How DARE you! You never cared about her to begin with - just that useless fop you've spent all this time pining after!"_

In his rage, Dark Link immediately turned towards the scholar before the hero stepped in front of him, shielding him from the shadow's wrath. He drew the Master Sword and pointed it face-level at his enemy, watching as the demon recoiled against the blue steel.

"You've got no leverage over Link anymore, so stand down!" Ashei demanded. "You've lost."  
 _  
"Stand… down?"_

"You gave me the chance to walk away," Link began, stepping closer, his sword poised to strike him down at any moment. "So, I'll offer you the same. Leave this place, now. I never want to see you again."

Dark Link laughed. He sheathed his sword and began to back away from the group - ignoring that cursed, _falsified_ image of his beloved in their midst. Unlike her, he had been marked forever. Bound to Link's destiny for the rest of time. "Leave? As though, I have a choice?!"

"I'm serious!" Link shouted. "You can either find some other purpose… or I'll cut you down. I'll defeat you again _and again_ if that's what I have to do! And then, it'll be Ganondorf's turn."

"… I didn't come all this way just to give up on the Triforce."

"So, you've come all this way to die?"

The shadow glowered at Link as he bridged the gap between him, nauseated by his shallow sympathy. He had run out of people to use against the hero - that brutish woman with the sword, the feeble scholar who'd held on in spite of his injuries, and of course the girl… who the Twilight Princess had gone unforeseeably out of her way to conceal. The same Twilight Princess who had, foolishly, chosen to care for and die alongside these humans.

With their enemy backed into a corner, Midna considered using the Fused Shadows now, ending it all in a matter of moments. However, there was no telling just _how_ desperate the creature was to get his hands on the real Ilia. If she'd missed, then all of their efforts to come out unscathed could be undone in a matter of seconds.

"I wonder, which is more powerful? The Triforce of Courage or the Fused Shadows?" Dark Link questioned, as though he'd read her mind. The lights were infuriatingly bright, giving him no reprieve and driving his mind toward madness.

"Obsessed 'til the end, huh?"

"Not merely. You see, I plan to test this theory myself… after I take your _head."_

Link blocked the incoming attack as it swung at him from an unexpected angle, the aggressor wielding his sword in the blink of an eye. He'd nearly fallen for the mortal draw, the most deadly move passed on to him by the Hero's Shade. Clearly, he'd underestimated his similarities to the demon. And having nothing else to bargain with had only made him _that_ much more unstable. _"You don't remember that one?"_ Dark Link cackled, as he sliced the air around him. _"How could you?! You're the hero that has EVERYTHING handed to him!"_

"Stay back!" Link warned the group over his shoulder. "I can finish him on my own!"

Ashei saw her opportunity to assist Link, endangering neither Ilia nor Midna's identity if she'd joined the fray. As she drew her sword and the adrenaline filled her veins once more, staggered mid-step towards the battle, her mind and body both shot from exhaustion. Threatening to give out. Shad stopped the warrior in her tracks by reaching out and grabbing her on the shoulder. He shook his head once, eyes gaunt with worry.

"Don't go, Ash," he pleaded.

Frozen in place, she bit back her urge to argue with him. They both knew that she was in no position to help.

"We have to trust Link."

"… I can't just do _nothing,"_ Ashei said, quietly. _  
_  
"Then… would you stay here for me, instead?"

Their hands found each other as they'd watched the battle, both Resistance members reaching for some assurance that everything would work out. In his apprehension, Shad found himself looking to Midna and Ilia, who concealed their emotions as well as their identities.

Beneath the surface, Ilia struggled to squeeze back her anger - _loathing_ the fact that she had been trapped once again. She had been forced into hiding, just like she had the day she'd wandered into that hidden village in the mountains… watching as the beasts razed it to the ground. And now, in order for the illusion to work, her job was to keep quiet and obey orders… her only survival tactic for living with the Bulblin hoard. But compliancy hadn't helped her to free the children. She couldn't bear to think of what might've happened to them if she hadn't intervened.

It had been worth risking her life for. A risk that she was _more_ than willing to take for Link in his hour of need.

She watched as the violence dragged on, noticing how Dark Link laughed excitedly every time he swiped in Link's direction. Her best friend held him off at each interval but his opportunities to knock him down were limited by the shadow's erratic behaviour. He seemed to thrive upon the hatred that had fed him over the years. However, as evenly matched as they were, Dark Link _was_ beginning to slow down - as each cut from the Master Sword began to eat away at his armour, clothes and hair.

All Ilia had to do was wait for the right moment.

Dark Link shouldered a particularly heavy hit from the Master Sword, fearing that its white-hot steel might've struck him from existence, before he grinned and leaned into it. The hero hadn't expected such force to come from an enemy who'd been hit square-on, and in response he toppled backwards, crashing unceremoniously to the ground. The shadow crushed Link's fingers under his boot, watching delightedly as he loosened his grip upon the hilt of the Master Sword. He then stomped on his hand and kicked the instrument away as hard as he could muster.

 _"I could do this forever, you know!"_ he hissed as Link scrambled away, vying for the sacred weapon. _"Just like you._ _Maybe you should've considered that before you refused my deal-"_

"Wait, Link!"

The entire room seemed to go still as the group realised what was happening. None could be more surprised than Dark Link, who looked up to see the human girl walking towards him… voluntarily. __

 _"It's me,"_ she said to him, softly. "It's the real Ilia. You found me reading in my room. And we talked about that conversation in the bookshop before we came here… remember?"

"Hey - _no_ \- stop it!" Midna shouted, still in her disguise. "Somebody stop her!"

"You are… addressing me by that name?" he asked, failing to hide the surprise in his tone. Ilia glanced down at the disheveled hero, scrunching her face with mild disgust before she looked up to face him again.

"Yes. I am." She nodded. "… You're doing all of this because that Evil King abandoned you, didn't he? And you're lonely. It must have been so hard for you, watching this world from afar."

Dark Link's eyes widened with apparent shock, unsure of how to read this strange and new development. Though this was his first time seeing her in person, he had known of Ilia for years. He'd watched as this bright young creature carried Link's furniture into his house. He'd heard her resplendent voice call from the top of the attic as she'd searched for him on his days off. And he saw the shadows that had taken her eyes after she'd resurfaced in Castle Town, forever changed by events that he could not see. By some stroke of luck, this girl had aligned with his ambitions, granting a window through which he could spy on the hero.

 _'Perhaps, it was fate after all?'  
_  
"Are you truly not afraid of me? After all that I've done?" Dark Link questioned, feeling utterly disarmed as Ilia reached out to touch his shoulder. She hesitated at the last second, withholding her fingertips as she weighed the following words.

"Not really. It feels like we've known each other for a while… and we have, haven't we? You've been watching over me all this time. And you know what I've been through, more than anyone here."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Ashei snapped from across the room. "Get AWAY from that thing!"

"Ilia my dear, you _cannot_ reason with him!" Shad concurred. "PLEASE! I beg of you to think of your future!"

"In fact… I'd be willing to leave here with you, instead," Ilia offered, ignoring their cries in the background. "I can see now that you're the _stronger_ Link… and that no one could look out for me better. I'd never have to worry about those monsters again! And I feel like under your protection, I could just sleep forever." She noticed halfway through her pitch that Link was moving upon the floor, making his way to the Master Sword. He muffed the sound with his elbows and knees.

He edged closer. And closer, towards the weapon.

"… I must admit that even I have never seen this side of you," Dark Link observed, though he had gone completely still. "So… won't you show me how serious you are, my pet? Why don't you tell the others what Link told you about Princess Zelda?"

 _"Don't you dare!"_ Midna whispered from across the room.

In her panic to save Link, Ilia reached out for the demon's hand. She held his gaze in its entirety as her skin made contact with the ghastly vellum stretched over his bones. He was unsettlingly cold to the touch, with no detectable heartbeat.

"Princess Zelda is dead," she announced to the room, never taking her eyes off the monster. He met her compliance with a grin.

"… How did I do?" Ilia asked as she leaned in closer, now cupping her other hand to Dark Link's face. He was enraptured. An involuntary sound left his throat as his fury crumbled away. "Will you… have me, Link?"

But before he could even open his mouth to answer, he felt every inch of the Master Sword as it sunk through his back - all the way down to the hilt. The blue metal stuck crudely out of his chest on the other side, piercing holes into his line of vision. He choked on the blood as it filled his mouth, burning him out from the inside. Then, just as quickly, the sword had been ripped right out of him.  
 _  
"… Ili… a?"  
_  
Dark Link collapsed onto the floor, red eyes dulled under the weight of his agony. Worse still was the final image of Ilia reaching for Link over his wounded body, crying into the hero's shoulder. Last time, he had perished in fire. A fire that had cleansed the room of all illusion, burning a path for the hero to walk over. But tonight, it felt as though his very essence were shrinking away, obliterated by the ancient steel as it coursed like lightning through his veins.

 _'I… deserve this. For being weak.'  
_  
"Link, I'm sorry! I'm _so_ sorry," Ilia sniffed. "I didn't mean to get captured again! Or to tell everybody what happened… Are you alright? I was so scared someone was going to _die."_

"I-Ilia!" he stammered, choking back his own tears. He held her in her arms, taking care with the bloodied sword he still clung to. "Ilia… I'm just glad you're safe. You have no idea."

"Damn," Ashei murmured to Shad with an incredulous look on her face. "Did you see that acting? I'm not getting on her bad side."

"Fortunately, I've had plenty of practice surviving you." The scholar chuckled, nervously.

"But… what does it mean for Hyrule, if the Princess is gone?"

"… We will endure. To be quite honest, I hadn't expected anybody in the castle to hold out for that long."

"It wasn't Link's fault," Midna interrupted. She changed back into her cursed form, failing to meet the humans in the eyes as she addressed them. "That's all you need to know."

The blonde swordsman held his childhood friend in his arms as he began to cry, openly, feeling an immense weight lifted off of shoulders. He had nearly lost _everyone_ at the cost of that damned mark on his hand. Eventually, Shad and Ashei made their way over to the pair, taking small steps at a time. As unbelievable as it was, they too had survived.

Link untangled his arm and pulled Shad in close, dragging Ashei along with him into the middle of the group. They squeezed onto each other in silence, missing the words to describe their ordeal. The head-rush from their victory had nearly finished the job on the warrior, whose vision was blurred from fatigue. Shad had felt a similar urge to faint. Meanwhile, Midna watched over them Link's shoulder, unsure of what the protocol was for an outsider like her in this scenario.

"You helped them," he breathed, looking up at the Twilight Princess with tired eyes. "You didn't have to but you did it! Come here!"

"S-Stop it! Link!" she shouted, ghosting out of his arms. Though she had embraced him many times before, it was far too embarrassing in front of an audience. "… What would you do without me, hm? But don't forget, we've got one more thing to take care of. I'll let you say your goodbyes."

A noise from nearby startled the group who immediately released each other and turned their attention to the floor where Dark Link was - broken and bleeding onto the tiles around him. His agony was met with a row of glares.

"You're lucky to be dead," Midna threatened. "With my kingdom back, you would've been _right_ at the top of the list of insurgents for me to punish."

The shadow could barely summon the strength to smile at her before he turned to Link, holding his gaze with cold, weaponless fury. _"For centuries, I observed the flow of time from my prison. I watched and waited… and I learned. But I could never understand… why the Goddesses chose you. What… did you possibly have to offer… in comparison…?"_

"You were right. I never wanted this power in the first place," the hero confessed to him, quietly. "There are more important things in my life. People, that I care about. But I'll use it to defend them, every damn time. That's all it ever comes down to."

"… _What a waste. You could've had the Triforce… used it to transform the world in their image… if you'd wanted."_ The shadow smiled, as the red in his eyes finally greyed out.

 _"I pity you."_

Nobody knew what to say to Link as he finally watched his own, cursed image perish in front of him. Eventually, Shad turned the hero's face away, guiding him gently with his hands. And then, Ilia led the group outside, wanting to be rid of that place forever.

* * *

They stood beneath the parapets of the castle in soft rain of night, the stench of smoking rubble hanging thick in the background. Rusl and Auru's torches had glimmered at them from across the courtyard before they ran over, floored upon the realisation that the other half of their faction had indeed survived. For all the jokes they had made of the youths' propensity for trouble behind their backs, they could not have been prouder that they'd managed to pull through.

"We searched everywhere for you!" Rusl said, exasperated. "And we initially feared that you might be dead until all we found were slain monsters. What _happened_ to the two of you?"

"… Don't want to talk about it," Ashei mumbled, looking away. The warrior leaned against one of the columns upon the building entryway, feeling utterly nauseous. She took her gauntlets off and began to wash the blood away in the rain.

"Perhaps later, yes?"

"I'm afraid that I must take the blame for what happened," Shad explained. Though he appeared to have far fewer injuries, all one had to do was look upon his shoulders where the shirt had been cut away. There were six terrible puncture wounds, forcing anyone who gazed upon them to wonder how he could be standing. "Perhaps if I'd been more vigilant on the battlefield, we wouldn't have been separated. You each have my most sincere apologies."

"Don't _do_ that! Don't pretend that what happened was no big deal!" Ashei snapped over her shoulder.

"You still doubt my sincerity after what happened?! I did it because I love you!"

"… I… _that's not what I meant, Shad-"_

"At least you and Ilia seem to be in better sorts." Rusl sighed, turning away from the nearby argument as he'd addressed Link. "I don't suppose we have the right to hold you back any longer. But before you go… please, old friend, let us take care of those wounds."

With the castle grounds secured, Link and Ashei gratefully received the last of their healing potions. The swordsman sat quietly upon the pavement as Rusl bandaged him and Shad brought the potion to his lips. Meanwhile, Ashei gripped to Auru's arm for support, hissing and swearing as Ilia did her best to soothe her injuries. Much of the work was carried out in silence, each conscious of the unfathomable burden still placed upon the hero's shoulders.

"… Hey there, old boy," Shad finally prompted, his voice cutting quietly over the rain. "That beast said some truly horrible things... even going so far as to mention your mother. And for that, I'm sorry. But I also wanted to remind you that you were never alone in this. We fought in your honour because each of us loves you dearly."

"You're my family, Link," Ilia affirmed, hugging him tightly from behind. "And I don't care _how_ you came to be in my life. So, please… come back to us."

"It wouldn't ever be the same around here, if something happened to you," Ashei added, quietly. "With luck, our organisation won't be needed after today… but that doesn't mean our bonds are broken. As long as we're here, I have something to fight for. Something to protect. I never want that to change."

Link looked quietly to each of his companions.

Rusl and Ilia hadn't left his side since the day he arrived in Ordon. Now, he found himself appreciating just how closely their fates had been tied to his own. A future with them had always seemed far away, out of reach like the City in the Sky. But that hadn't meant he did not wish for it. Now that the possibility was in front of him, he did not know how to feel. Together, they might have guided the next generation of Ordon Village.

Next, he nodded to Auru, grateful that he had reserved a space for him at the Resistance table - with only his credentials to speak for his character.

When Ashei caught his gaze, he gave a smile to hers in return, remembering her immediate challenge to his right to be there. But after laying their vulnerabilities bare, he found within her a kindred spirit. She had grown to be a rare and irreplaceable friend, the first proper one he had made outside his village.

Then, there was Midna in the shadows. She had come into his life suddenly, violently, through some unexpected disaster, and he could not imagine what his life would be like without her. For all of their differences, she had guided Link into the shoes of somebody stronger. Smarter. Even if he didn't always take her advice.

Lastly, he saw Shad. Perhaps, the most surprising person of all. They had shared many moments of calm, rare and splendid, against the heat of the war. He saw arms that had kept him safe, hands that had stayed his destruction even if they never wielded a sword. Through his love, he'd glimpsed into a future he hadn't ever imagined possible.

It had taken an entire community to get Link here. And unlike his shadow, he could never count them as a weakness. "… I won't say goodbye to anyone, alright?" Link smiled. "Instead, I'll say… see you all again. Soon."

"In this life or the next," Shad promised. He took the hero's hand and then pressed it carefully to his lips. Ignoring the mark of the Triforce, as it seared beneath his glove.

* * *

 **AN:** Are we here? We're FINALLY HERE!

This concludes the war!

It took a while but my aim was to get the story into a place where we could spend the final couple of chapters healing, celebrating and adapting into the new world! I'm also really excited for the ending I have planned and I can't wait to get it out there.


	26. Gentle Little Fractures

**AN:** Thank you for waiting through a very chaotic month!

I always had plans for Mid/Zel in this story but I never included it in the tags because Zelda hasn't had any lines until now. However, it IS a thing! It just isn't centre-stage, so to speak. One of these days I'll write them properly because they deserve it. This chapter may also need some more editing and for that I apologise - but I've been sitting on it for weeks and will make adjustments as needed. :)

* * *

 **Chapter 26 - Gentle Little Fractures**

The storm shuddered and wind howled as the Master Sword clashed against the Sword of the Sages, sparks falling out of their point of impact. Link pushed against the Evil King with all of his strength - anchoring his feet into the dirt, refusing to budge. It took every ounce of willpower not to _crumble_ before his enemy, let alone repel the blade of light as it inched closer toward him. With one final, desperate push, he caught Ganondorf in a split second of instability and was able to topple his defensive stance.

 _'This is it!'  
_  
And then, Link rushed forward with the Master Sword, pointing it at the window of light that bled out of the King's midsection.

 _"THIS_ _IS FOR ALL OF THE LIVES YOU'VE RUINED!"_ he screamed. _"FOR MIDNA!"_

Unblinking, he ran the Master Sword into Ganondorf's chest. Zelda, who had gasped audibly from beyond the barrier, couldn't bring herself to look away as it happened. His final act of violence had choked the staggered man into his final words.

 _"Foolish boy…_ to end me… is to continue our eternal dance. To deny me… is to bring doom upon the world."

The world grew silent as the storm immediately died down, the barrier encasing their battle falling away. Though the Evil King was still on his legs, he had been paralysed beyond the point of endangering others, frozen into place like a mountain upon the earth. That was when Link felt it.  
 _  
"AGH…! What… what's happening to me?!"  
_  
His senses were overcome by a terrible, searing pain, his mind grasping for an explanation as dread sank into his bones. Terror had engulfed his body. And then, the very world began to shift and shape around him, distorting the image of Zelda and Epona as they watched helplessly in the background. The dirt under his feet cracked and caved inwards, pouring into a fissure that had split around the body of the Evil King.

Link scrambled away from the danger. He refused to let it end like this after he'd come so close. All the while, it felt as though his skin had been set alight and there was no water on earth to quench the flame. When Link finally looked to his hand, he noticed that the mark of the Triforce was now _burning_ right out of him, as though the Goddesses were finally done with the boy they'd used for their plans. He cried out, screaming in pain for someone - _anyone_ \- to save him.

The Evil King laughed as the ground swallowed him whole, mere feet away from Zelda as she reached out to catch him.

"The blood of the ages is on your hands," Ganondorf heaved in his final moments. Blood trickled down from his mouth. And then, the gold in his eyes flared white.

* * *

"AGHHH!"

Link rolled out of bed and crashed to the floor, pulling half of the sheets down with him as the tiles smacked against his face. It took several seconds for him to understand what was going on and that he _hadn't_ just fallen into oblivion during the final battle. But just to be sure… he pulled again roughly at his hair, pinched both of his arms and then inspected his left hand, which now lay dormant. With a sigh of relief, he then draped it over his chest, measuring his rapid heartbeat in the dark.

As his eyes flickered over the room, the truth of his situation began to stem the tides of fear.

'You're in the infirmary…' Link told himself. 'It's been two… _three_ days since Ganondorf fell. And everyone is alive. Midna is alive.'

Midna, who had endless jokes for any situation, had been rendered speechless at their unlikely win. _Almost_ as speechless as Link upon the realisation that a fully realised sorceress had been hitching a ride on his back their entire journey. Her red eyes were imprinted into his mind, narrowed with concern at the recent state of his body.

 _'It's alright, Link. You did good. But please… you need to rest now.'  
_  
The following days passed by in a surreal blur, full of new faces and unfamiliar rooms.

Although the castle's restoration efforts had demanded an influx of workers from the city, this hadn't deprived him and his comrades of the best medical attention Hyrule had to offer. Despite all of the death and destruction Ganondorf had wrought, the world seemed ever ready to press on. He was quite sure that in a couple of weeks, it would be as though the conflict had never happened within Castle Town. If only the other settlements had been so lucky.

"Link?" a familiar voice called out.

Shad gasped as he turned his attention to the empty bed at his side, before switching on a lantern that sat upon the nightstand. As luck would have it, he had already been sitting up, with two large pillows propped carefully between the frame and his back.

"Link, where _are_ you?" He gasped. "Where…? Oh!"

Although the sight of the swordsman laying on the ground had quelled most of his panic, it hadn't done much for his sorrow at the younger man's predicament. The shouting in his sleep hadn't gone unnoticed. And he felt powerless to stop it. After failing to notice Dark Link's influence over Ilia, Shad now considered himself to be the _least_ qualified person for meddling in the wellbeing of others.

"Heavens, are you alright?!"

"Sorry," Link mumbled into the crumpled bedding. "It was… just a dream."

Eventually, he propped himself up and then looked over at the dishevelled scholar, who wore a loose shirt over his new bandages. His eyes carried a deep blue against the orange light, lids heavy with worry as he gazed back at him.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Shad offered.

"… Nah. I shouldn't keep you up."

"You know, I've been finding it difficult to rest, myself. Weak lungs from the attack. So really, old boy, if you should need anything…?"

Link rubbed his eyes and crawled back onto the bed. He dragged the blankets up as he went before dumping them onto the mattress with a frustrated sigh. "That bad, huh?" he finally said, smirking. Though the look in his eyes clearly contradicted his tone. "… I'm sorry, Shad."

"Sorry for what?" The scholar smirked right back. "For starting this entire conflict? Walking into Telma's Bar? Giving the order to loose those arrows? _Please_."

After a quick laugh, the first he'd probably had in days; Link decided he would take Shad up on his offer. He climbed out of bed and dragged the nightstand between them away, banishing it into a corner of the room. Shad watched as he moved around, wordlessly, and with a look of determination in his eyes. Then when Link returned, he began to push his bed closer, ignoring the terrible groan it emitted as it scraped against the floor.

"This goes against the recommendation of the nurse, you know," Shad chuckled. "Until our injuries heal we've been relegated to holding hands. Rather like an old married couple."

"I don't care," he growled. "Come here."

The hospital's mattresses were larger than any Link had ever seen and when joined together they created a field of softness. After adjusting the blankets, the swordsman finally came in close and then settled himself into Shad's lap. Though the scholar was forced to sit upright, he couldn't have ever complained of his current situation. After what felt like an eternity, Link was finally here, _in his arms,_ without the war calling them beyond. As selfish as it admittedly was, he was thankful.

Even if the shadows of their ordeal yet lingered.

Link quietly enjoyed the sensation of Shad's fingers in his hair, sighing softly as the swept his bangs out of his face. He felt stress that had coursed its way into his veins and etched its way into his dreams slowly melting away. Though regrettably, he had no idea how long it would last. He reasoned that it might have been a taste of what Ilia had gone through, before she'd found comfort in these same, reassuring arms.

"Link, old boy, I… get the feeling that there is still a great deal weighing on your mind," Shad began, his hand resting against the younger man's back. "Not that I could even _begin_ to guess what you might be going through at this moment. But I thought I should remind you that you aren't a burden on anyone. Especially not to me."

The swordsman went still for a moment before he rolled over to face Shad properly, his expression unreadable.

"I… uh, apologise if I am being _too_ forthright with my assumptions. But I felt… it needed to be said. I am here for you." He feared it might have been the wrong thing to say when Link rolled over again, his hair obscuring his face once more. The scholar stopped himself from brushing it away and simply sat there, in silence, allowing his eyes to wander over the unfamiliar room instead.

Eventually, Link spoke. "Not being a burden… is what I was always good at," he said. Shad could have sworn that he felt a smile pressed against his leg through the sheets. "I was always the capable one. I kept things running at home, even though I wasn't born there. Fit into Ilia and Rusl's families like a brother. And for all that time, I kept even the _smallest_ things hidden… books, my interest in magic, the mark on my hand that hurt sometimes. I turned Rusl down for the longest time because I was scared of what it would mean if I was… _too_ different."

The scholar listened, under the rising suspicion that it might've been the first time anyone had heard these words in full. After the horror they'd just experienced in the castle, it was easy to see how Link might've felt validated in pushing others away to keep them safe. And now, upon recovery, he faced the very daunting prospect of having to return home - _knowing_ what had almost transpired. Seeing no common thread to the madness beyond Farore's gift to him. Courage had transformed him into a beacon against the darkness, and he had lit himself on fire to save those who lived in the light.

"… I watched Rusl for years wondering what it'd be like if I followed in his footsteps," Link continued. "If I went away for ages… then came home, always talking about the outside world. Ilia scolding me and patching me up when I was injured, instead of Uli. But I could never see past the coming back part. It made me feel like… maybe I wouldn't have a family anymore. Like I could never really _be_ Rusl. As an outsider, I would've only looked ungrateful for everything they'd given me. So I kept my head down and stuck to work."

Shad shook his head, feeling no longer able to bite down on his tongue. "I spent mere weeks in Kakariko and all they could talk about was you! How, you'd thrived in the world beyond. How… even your smile was different. I believe it was because they were seeing you _happy._ In your element for the first time," he argued. "Change isn't some act of betrayal, Link. I'm certain everybody wishes to see you flourish, wherever you choose to put your talents! As would I… if you'd ever decided that the city isn't all up to scratch."

He felt the younger man smile again, before he rolled over to look into his eyes.

"The conflict gave me no choice. I was _forced_ to change. But I think you're right. Even through all the bad stuff… it really did make me happier," Link admitted, reaching for one of Shad's hands. He tangled his fingers with the scholar's, noticing his steady pulse as it rested against him. "I met so many good people, Shad. I met you. It's just, now that it's over I… I don't know where it leaves me. The violence is over. And now I get these nightmares."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Shad felt his heart begin to flutter again at the mention of his name, a small detail that hadn't escaped Link's notice. But more than anything, he was surprised by how much Link had opened up to him. He swallowed, steadying his heart as he reached for the right words.

"I think there will always be opportunities to repurpose your skills. Ways to improve our communities. As for your home life, perhaps you should take some time to really reconnect with Ordon? It'll ease this anxiety of yours before you go jumping into any big decisions. And Ilia will be there for you, of course."

"And if… all the others start treating me differently?" he mumbled into the blankets.

"I think you'll be surprised at how accepting they are. You've brought their children back to their families! Yes, perhaps your life might never be the same but you have changed things for the _better._ And if that isn't enough, you also have a future here… to consider." Shad cleared his throat. "With _me,_ that is."

There it was, he decided.

Though it seemed hardly the time, the scholar felt compelled to put himself out there. He wished to spend the rest of his days alongside this curious man who had utterly transformed his life. As much as the prospect of being turned down at this point terrified him. Perhaps his idea of love was different to Link's? He feared. Perhaps he had been hoping for too much, for _too_ long…

"You won't move to the country with me?" Link smirked, knowing exactly the type of response this would elicit.

"Is… that what you want?" Shad gasped, feeling a jolt of panic course right through him. "Because I might certainly… need some time to adjust. And my work might take longer to reach the capital. However, I could LEARN to enjoy pumpkin ale for what it is! And we could live alongside Ilia. Yes! She might even be willing to teach me to horse ride-"

"Joking! I'm joking, Shad!" The swordsman had to stop himself from laughing at the ridiculousness of the idea. As much as the honesty of Shad's offer had touched him. "Come on, I'd never ask you to do that. Your place is _here,_ where your research will be appreciated. Where you can swing by Telma's in the evening, walk the streets with Ashei and restore Hyrule's history, one piece at a time."

 _Ashei.  
_  
The likelihood of her vanishing after the conflict had dragged Shad under the waterline again, harder than ever before. For he'd known that without a challenge or a cause, or some rigorous venture to give her skills the purpose she craved, there would be little else to keep her around. She was a different kind of person… a _rare_ person, who had cut through all of the madness of the city and grounded him to his goals. But for all of his fanciful thinking, he was running out of time to sweep the issue under the carpet. Sooner or later, they would have to talk.

"Did you believe me _so_ out of my element in Kakariko that I wouldn't follow you home?" Shad scoffed, in some effort to hide his anxiety.

"That wasn't it, at all. What I'm trying to say is… I think… um… logically, _I_ should be the one to move."

"You… pardon?"

He stared back at Link, as though he'd suddenly vanished into a puff of smoke and transformed into one of the Oocca.

"I'm saying that I should move into the city with you," Link clarified. "If that's not too early to promise? I know we haven't spent much time together outside of the war. And I'm… new to all _this_ stuff. But that's just how I feel. When everything finally settles down, I want us to live together."

The long pause was beginning to worry him until he noticed Shad blushing furiously, his heartbeat nearly shooting out of his hands.

"Oh, I… I'd wondered if it was too much to hope for." He exhaled. "You've given me so much to think about, old boy. Perhaps that could be our shared goal, yes?"

"After we go on a proper date." Link smiled back at him.

"One without wolves or _dragons,_ or heists from crooked doctors. Yes, I think I would like that very much."

Unable to stop on behalf of his injuries, Shad sank down into the blankets and then pulled himself closer to Link's level. It went against the advice of the doctors for him to stay upright and do nothing but rest… but to that point, he didn't care. He felt the heat begin to consume him as he lightly touched the side of Link's face.

The hero's eyes carried a spark that betrayed the rest of his condition, lids bruised and heavy from the battles that had worn their way into his mind. He had no intention going back to sleep anytime soon, with new and exciting incentive from the other man's gentle touches. "… Thanks for listening to me, Shad," he said, softly. "And for still loving me… like this."

"Like what?" the scholar breathed against his lips. "You are so precious to me. Nothing will ever change that."

He felt the moment Link's lips connected with his own, gingerly at first, as though he were remembering how it felt the first time. The sensation was still new enough to raise his nerves but then, gradually, the comfort of familiarity kicked in. Shad's fingers found their way into Link's hair and then rested beneath his jawline as he kissed him back, making muffled sounds beneath the blankets. After a couple of minutes he pushed them aside, stopping only to catch his breath.

"Whoa. Hey. Are you alright?" Link checked in, brushing a wave of Shad's russet hair out of his face.

"I… do apologise…" he said, panting between breaths, nearly trembling with exhilaration. "These blasted lungs! It will… take some time for me to be as I once was. Perhaps that is a good thing... or I might never stop."

"Something for me to look forward to."

With a coy glint in his eye, Link readjusted the pillows and then sat himself up alongside Shad. He noticed as the scholar went red again and bit down on his lip… but decided to give him the chance to recover before pushing him any further. Instead, he'd contented himself with running his hands along Shad's chest as they settled down for the rest of the night.

"I never forgot about the Sky, you know."

"Ah… haha. Would it be terrible of me to admit that I hadn't either?"

After that, they did nothing but hold each other until the early hours finally guided them to sleep.

* * *

It had been scarcely a week since Ganondorf's occupation ended but the looming castle in the distance was beginning to regain some of its colour. Its white bricks nearly melded into the clouds as its blue spires touched the open sky for the first time in months. When night finally fell, its windows came alive with the same gentle firelight that illuminated most of the town. And as the early hours approached, they dwindled down into embers, winking back at any who were still awake to observe them.

Link crawled slowly out of bed, taking _extra_ care not to wake Shad who needed all of the sleep he could manage. He reasoned that caring for an injured bedmate - one that was prone to tossing and shouting all through the night - deserved a medal in itself. Before he would try to leave, the swordsman stared down at his feet for some time, wondering at the depth of his injuries after the battle. The Evil King had repeatedly knocked him around, throwing his weight against the younger man and crunching the breath from his ribs.

But those fractures were not his main concern.  
 **  
**"... Your Courage carried you all the way here from the forest," Ganondorf had sneered, in that thunderous voice that pierced its way into his memories. "But would it dare to defy me, if its vessel no longer had legs to stand upon?"

The Sword of the Sages swung down, and Link flinched, gripping fast onto the side of the mattress in the moment of dizziness. He fought the pulse that raced against his ears before looking to his side, noticing with no small amount of relief that Shad was still completely out.

 _'They're your legs…'_ he told himself in a manner reminiscent of Midna. _'Not Ganondorf's. Not the Goddesses'. Yours. So, use them.'  
_  
He placed one trembling foot in front of the other. Slowly. The muscles in his legs, straining under the weight.

After hobbling over to the door, half-expecting it to be locked, Link snuck out of the room and then made his way down the stairs of the peculiar building. He could scarcely remember the morning he'd been rushed inside, piecing time together only from the moment the scholar arrived. The fact that he hadn't seen Ilia, Ashei, or even Midna at this point had only addled him further. Part of him wondered if he might still be caught within a dream.

Link's thoughts were stolen away by the ebb and flow of the streets outside. All of the city's latest events had unfolded before him through the window upstairs, though he'd found himself unable to look for too long, on the off chance somebody recognised him. Speeches were made. Droves of people flocked to the castle gates. Merchants, politicians, carpenters, painters, cooks…

A lone, hooded figure drew the hero's gaze to the edge of the fountain where they sat, as still as the sculpture in the centre of the pool. Struck by the very familiar sense that he'd seen this person before, he began to make his way out onto the street, approaching tentatively.

"Link." Though her face was kept in shadow, there was no mistaking that soft voice. Link took a seat by the stranger's side, enjoying the warm night air as it swept over the cobbles.

"Um… good evening, Your High-"

"Link. It's alright." A small smile flashed from beneath the cloak. "In my own time, we can dispense with formalities."

"Oh… uh, okay then. 'Evening, Zelda."

The rippling water broke the silence as they watched over the town, his left hand tingling with the memory of pain from the last time he'd come this close to another piece of the Triforce. But now, in this moment of quiet... the feeling was akin to holding one's hand. It was warm and inviting, like a full teacup on a winter's night.

"Might you also have trouble sleeping?" Zelda ventured, in a wry tone.

Link nodded in response, wondering how haggard he must have looked to the Princess. So far he'd managed to avoid the sight of himself after the battle, though he imagined it to be less than immaculate for all of Shad's fretting.

"I see you're well enough to be venturing out of your lodgings. Rather efficiently, I might add," Zelda praised, now dropping her hood to meet his eyes. "But you should know that Midna will be leaving us soon. She had every intention of waiting for you to recover before breaking the news. I, however… thought you might appreciate the notice."

"… You mean, she… plans on going immediately?" Link faltered. _"Now,_ just after we've got it all back?"

He had always known that this day would come. And yet, he'd grown so accustomed to Midna's presence that he spent the last few days with the ghost of her memory lingering in his shadows, calculating their next task. The fact that she was not there with him in the hospital felt like a lie.

"The longer she spends in our world, the longer hers waits leaderless and in disarray."

"I know. I _know,"_ he conceded. "… It's really important that she gets back. But I just… part of me wishes that… she could stay a little while? Couldn't we leave the portal open? At least then, we could stay in contact."

Zelda merely sighed at the suggestion, keeping her emotions in check as she looked to the ground. "I don't need to tell you how irresponsible that would be. Not after what happened to your friend from home. As much as I wished our worlds could coincide, our duties are to our people, first."

"But… I killed that demon. Properly, this time! He can't use it to hurt anyone ever again!"

"He came from the light," the Princess reminded him, gently. "As did Ganondorf. We would also be subjecting her people to terrible danger."

Link gritted his teeth as he remembered the horror that had crawled out from the Twilight, dangling Ilia in front of him as though it were all some game. The truth was that there could be other such monsters inhabiting their worlds, hoping to use the other to seize power. Even now, he still knew so little of his past. Hyrule knew so _little_ of its history. "You're right." He sighed. "It was just a thought."

"You however, already have so much waiting for you here," Zelda reminded him, gently. "I imagine that will make this transition easier on your part. Our Kingdom is on the verge of great change, born from the ashes of our conflict. And I can see that Midna is eager to introduce some changes of her own."

"… Zelda. It's not fair you have to lose her, too."

"I know."

Link went to bite back his words, fearful of overstepping his boundaries, before he'd noticed the faraway look in Zelda's eyes. He was touched by the same sense of sacrifice, the one that had told him to leave the others out danger, and no longer cared for letting things lie as they were. "I don't wanna make it harder on you but you guys have a connection, right? You were there for Midna at her lowest. And she'd do anything to keep you safe. There's gotta be some way to fix this! Why can't both of our worlds just... exist?"

"I appreciate your concern, Link," she said, softly. "But you should know that I was always prepared for this outcome. Our worlds need to mend and grow before they can ever be brought together. I would be lying to say that I didn't live in hope for such a day. But until then, I will manage. This is precisely what being a ruler demands. It is all I have ever known."

 _"… Agh._ " Link cringed. "Sorry. You just… remind me of one of my friends. Stubborn and won't put her duties aside for even a second. Even if it means bottling her true feelings."

"Is that so bad?"

The swordsman smiled again and then shook his head. "I wanna say that you're both sort of wrong. That you shouldn't have to put emotions last to meet your goals. But that's a habit I'm still trying to break. I've been keeping others in the dark all this time, trying to keep them safe… looking back on things, I don't think it ever helped."

"You were upholding a duty," Zelda affirmed. "A duty to the realm you sought to protect. From what I can gather, you had comrades who _shared_ in this burden but your love for them made you wish it were not so."

Link found himself staring back at the Princess, noting that she was either scarily astute or at least _somewhat_ capable of reading his mind. He glanced down at the mark on his left hand, wondering if it had thrown him under the wagon, before Zelda brought a hand to her mouth and stifled a laugh.

"Midna conveyed your struggles to me," she explained, much to his relief. "Inadvertently at first. For a second in time, when our minds were as one, I felt as though I had seen it all for myself. As though I had been _there…_ in her place _._ Neither of us had foreseen our knowledge and experiences imparting onto each other."

"Whoa. Sounds intense." He blinked.

"It was." She smiled, feeling warmth return to the rest of her face. "… It was the single most extraordinary thing that has ever happened to me. But… I digress."

Zelda noticed as one of the soldiers near the gates looked over in their direction. He gasped audibly and nearly dropped the glaive in his hand, wondering if he'd been struck in the head. As easily as she could've turned away and hidden herself beneath the cloak, she met Link's eyes under the flickering blue light of the fountain, entirely unperturbed by her surroundings.

"In your case, I would have advocated letting them in earlier. You were all bound by the same vision and so you were stronger, together. Which brings me back to Midna. Her utmost duty is to her people... whatever her feelings might be. I understand that better than most. Truly I do. And so, I cannot stop her."

"… Goddesses, Zelda. You're stronger than me."

Link watched as the guard now stood _ever_ ready, his expression so intense that sweat must have gathered upon his brow. "Everyone talks about the responsibilities that keep them going. Stuff like… creating a safer world for the people back home… building communities, using their skills for good… solving mysteries." He sighed. "But in comparison I feel like I… never had that _same_ sense of duty. I did the best I could but something tells me that it wasn't enough. I'm still trying to understand how I made it this far. And what to do with myself, now that it's all over."

"Perhaps you require the space to reflect upon your needs?" Zelda mused. "It must have been some time since you were ever afforded the chance."

 _'My needs,'_ Link thought to himself, with a frown.

When was the last time he'd undertaken something for his own sense of closure? Wasn't it taking Shad with him up into the Sky? In retrospect, it had been such a foolhardy and dangerous thing to do, and yet, nothing had made him feel more alive. Had this feeling come out of the rush of their adventure or some sheer relief that _somebody had been there to support him through the worst of it?_ That someone had held on, through the storm, just for him?

The Princess, reading his expression, nodded before drawing the cloak over her face once more. "You have the freedom to shape your future, Link. And you deserve every moment of respite that this realm has to offer you. Without your tireless work, we would not even be here to discuss the matter."

"Reflect on my needs, huh?" Link repeated, exhaling sharply. "Thanks, Zelda. You've given me somewhere to start."

"It is my pleasure."

"And for what it's worth… I'm really sorry about Midna. I'll be strong for you on the day."

"We would both like that. Very much," she agreed.

* * *

Link awoke the next morning to something weighing upon his chest, vibrating with fierce tenacity. Though it hadn't been enough to rouse his nightmares, it was certainly too persistent to let him back to sleep. His eyes eventually fluttered open to the sight of a great, white cat standing over his face, surmising him with its intelligent blue eyes.  
 _  
'Meow.'_

"Good morning, honey."

"… Whoa… _Goddesses-"_

"Surprise!" Ilia called, standing mere feet away from the bed.

Link jolted up into a sitting position, dragging the crumpled sheets up and over his torso. The mid-morning sun streamed in through the window nearby, and Shad - who was still guilty of missing out on his regular sleep schedule - basked in it openly, sipping from the teacup that sat on the bedside table. It smelled just like the brew Ilia used to make him after his overnight forays into his research.

"We brought Louise cause she's just had her bandages off and we thought she might like to celebrate! Hope you don't mind."

"Ilia? Bandages…? Wh… What?" Link mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"That good for nothing imposter of yours attacked _my cat."_ Telma glowered from the doorway. "Just as well you and Ilia finished the job or I would've throttled the bastard! Pardon my manners. I'm still reeling from the fact that he looked just like you, honey. I hope you'll be able to forgive me for such an embarrassing oversight."

The swordsman gradually came to his senses, noting the wreaths of flowers that now blossomed around their bed. "Oh… Telma! Th-There's… no need to apologise-"

"You might need to give him a little longer to adjust, my dears," Shad smiled. "He hasn't slept so well since we've arrived."

"… Hey, no. I'm fine. It's just… really good to see you. I haven't seen anyone else all week."

Link's hands curled instinctively as he looked over Ilia for the first time since the eve of final battle. The scratch upon her neck where the blade had broken the skin was now nothing but a faint line, a scant reminder of what had very nearly happened. But to his relief, the rest of her stood strong.

Her eyes gleamed back at him with purpose, hiding her own concern as she gauged his condition. Link had always kept the extent of his true emotions hidden. That was, until somebody _else_ had gotten hurt. Having known him all these years, she reconciled the fact that nobody would be able to tell just how deeply these events had shaken him at face value. Not even her.

"It's good to see you too, Link," she said at last. "I made _this_ for you."

It had only just occurred to him that Ilia had been hiding something behind her back. She reached around before gently placing a crown of wildflowers, noticeably different from the ones she had hung around the room, into his lap. "Oh…! Wow. I haven't seen one of these for years!"

He smiled, turning the piece over in his hands.

Link noted the delicate manner in which the branches were wrapped around themselves, forming a halo from which several sprigs of white flowers erupted. Tiny splashes of yellow and blue, unique to the Lanayru Province's grasslands, formed the under layer of the crown. By some twist of fate, they matched perfectly with his hair and eyes. He finally allowed his mind to wander home, free of fear and doubt… and suspicion. He thought of the white flowers that dotted the Ordon Springs, the warm sunlight that streamed down through the trees. There was a truth to the natural world that he had missed all these months in the city, a calling for him to return as soon as he could.

"Ilia. Thank you so much," he beamed. "Is it wearable?"

"Here, let me." She brushed Link's hair out of his face before resting the crown over his head, blushing lightly as she did so. After that, Link couldn't resist pulling her into a hug. "Ashei and Telma went with me to collect them this morning. Of course, the road's a lot safer now. But you know how it is."

"It isn't _just_ about safety," Telma tsk-ed. "You're a very motivational person, honey. You're kind and diligent. Strong. And we'll be hard-pressed replacing you once we get you back home."

"Oh, stop it." Ilia giggled. "You're only saying that because of all the looks we got on the street. But you don't need us around to pull that off, you know."

"… I take it she's… alright, then?" Shad finally spoke up, bringing his hand away from the cat to adjust his glasses. It had struck him as strange that the warrior accompanied them this morning but she was nowhere to be seen, now. "Where is Ashei, may I ask?"

"Right here," a tired voice called out. "Got discharged yesterday."

A light set of footsteps entered the room from the hallway before Ashei finally appeared, with a very misshapen satchel hanging from her shoulder. She'd spent the last hour or so on a mission of her own. And, unlike her previous custom, the warrior was free of her armour.

"Hey!" Link welcomed, sitting up again with Ilia in his lap. "We missed you."

She smiled back at him wearily before Shad began to shuffle himself over. Ashei took the invitation to sit on the other side of the bed, right next to him.

"My, my. Does my heart good to finally see you all back together again," Telma said, throwing another one of her evaluative glances around the room. "But I mostly came by to check that you two were being looked after. Now that I'm confident you're doing well, I'll clear off. Promise to swing by the bar once you're better though, alright my honeys?"

"I won't forget it," Link promised.

"You might need to start a tab for me the moment I walk in there," Shad warned, with a little laugh.

"I'll keep that in mind." Telma winked at the group. Louise jumped onto her shoulder, and then the two ladies took their leave.

"… I got released almost immediately but they kept Ashei back a couple more days," Ilia began. "I know how boring it can get in here so I decided to stay. That's when we decided we'd visit together when we were both able! I'm sorry if you were waiting for us."

"You didn't _have_ to stay." Ashei sighed. "But… thanks. I appreciate it."

Curiously, she faced away without another word.

"Good heavens. Are you feeling alright?" the scholar frowned at the warrior. He'd wanted to reach out to her but the likelihood of her smacking him away seemed more favourable, given her body language.

"… What about you?" she asked instead, dodging his enquiry. "How does it… feel?"

"Well…" Shad swallowed. "It only hurts when I eat or drink. Or sleep at a particular angle. Oh, and when I laugh! … Ahah… ha."

"And you're stuck this way forever, right?"

"The doctor said the pain should go down," Link spoke up. "It could have long-term effects but we've got the right people to deal with it. Shad's very strong. And he's been doing well."

"That's correct," the scholar agreed. "Erm… perhaps my constitution was not so great to begin with. But we've been fortunate enough to receive the best medical care, thanks to Princess Zelda. So you see… I will be fine."

After emitting a heavy sigh, Ashei fell quiet again and began to stare at the wall nearby. "… It should've been me," she said, her voice frail. "You had no right putting yourself in danger like that, not after the tower fell and I broke my back trying to save you. That was my job. And you nearly threw it all away."

"Ash, those arrows were poised at your head!" Shad argued. Upon raising his voice, he felt the pain spike once more into his upper body, refusing to let it silence him. "And if I hadn't the gall to move, then you'd quite simply be gone! No amount of magic can bring somebody back once that happens. Not even a fairy is capable of working after the fact. _That would have been it!"_

 _"So what?"  
_  
Ashei turned around to glare at Shad properly, just as she'd snapped. For somebody who had needed less medical attention than the scholar, she looked _utterly_ exhausted by comparison - her skin pale and grazed, and her hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. Link and Ilia looked to each other as they withdrew under the heat of the argument.

"So _what?!_ Are you quite serious?!"

"I TOLD YOU I was willing to pay the price!" Ashei continued. "I don't wear my armour for show, yeah? So what the fuck am I supposed to do now Shad, knowing that you're like this because of me? Do you want me to laugh and pretend it never happened, like you? Do you think a couple of drinks will fix things? _Speaking of-"_

She slammed the bag she'd brought in with her down onto the nearby table. It was filled to the brim with a variety of new and exciting books Shad had never seen before, along with the promising glint of a flask. Ilia's flowers shuddered in the commotion.

 _"Those_ are for you."

"Goddesses, I could certainly use a drink but with the current array of potions I'm taking-" Shad stopped himself short upon seeing the look on Ashei's face. "Thank you. For being thoughtful."

"… I'm not going to thank you for taking those arrows," she said, gruffly. "Because you're not allowed to do anything like that again. But you should know I… was glad to be finding the things you like. Instead of burying you."

"Ashei," Link intervened. Though he was wary of ruining the peace, he had his own perspective on what had transpired on that night. "If you weren't there with us in the castle, I don't think we would've made it out. I would've lost Ilia. Good chance I would've lost Shad, too. You helped save everyone. I can't stop thinking about what happened and if _anything_ had been different, we would've failed. I might've killed Ganondorf but without you guys… I'd… I wouldn't-"

"Don't say things like that," Ilia finished for him.

In response, the warrior merely looked back at him, meeting his bloodshot eyes with two of her own. Though Ilia had concealed her condition, it was clear she had these had been an emotional number of days and that Ashei needed support through more than mere hospital boredom.

"Shad knew what he was doing when he took those arrows," Link continued after taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "It's what got us all here today. So, please… don't be too hard on him. We look out for each other, right? We're like a family. That's all there is to it."

"Alright. Look here. I'm… sorry." Ashei finally sighed. She turned around to face the three, meeting their eyes as she pressed on. "I'm sorry for… ugh… all of _this._ For the arguments. For throwing things and hitting everybody away. I just needed to tell you that… I care. That's all. I'd do anything for anyone in this room. It's why I was so mad at _you_ for what you did. And I…"

She shot a nervous glance at Shad who watched her every move with anticipation, noting as she bit down on her lip. "Shad, I never told you that… I… _ugh."_

"I know." Shad smiled, bringing his hand to her shoulder. She let it sit there for a moment before bringing her own bare one to rest over the top of it, her fingers cold and fragile. "You don't need to torture yourself… you see, I figured it out some time ago. We speak a different language."

"Are you joking with me right now? Because if you _are,_ I swear to Nayru-"

"Please. Allow me to explain."

The scholar cleared his throat before continuing, vaguely conscious of how idiotic he was about to sound to everyone else in the room. But what mattered more was preserving the friendship in front of him. It was also entirely possible that his words might've inflamed things further. Nonetheless, it was the truth. And it would need to be told before anybody could move on.

"I thought more on what you said on that night. You know… the one we _both_ pretend never happened outside of the tavern. In frustration, you said that I'd forced you to use your words. But you are the type to show your love with your actions, instead." He swallowed heavily before he felt Link bump him lightly on the back, urging him to continue.

"Once I had figured that out, I began to notice it everywhere. I saw it in everything that you do! Ashei, you are filled with nothing but love for the people around you. You are a passionate, self-possessed woman and _I admire you,_ unabashedly, for who you are. I always have."

To their side, Ilia sat with both of her hands over her mouth, containing the level of excitement she'd felt at his honesty.

"Until recent events, I felt that my words carried little power." Shad frowned. "That they could never bridge the gap between us. But when I saw them begin to push you away, I realised how wrong I was. Even now, what I'm saying to you may not be _helping_ matters… but I have never in all my life known a greater friend."

The room fell silent as his speech ended, causing the scholar to tremble with anxiety.

"Goddesses Ash, please, say _somethi-"_

It was then that Ashei leaned forward and kissed Shad lightly on the forehead. Her touch was just as cool and delicate as he'd imagined, and emotionally, it had brought him to his knees. He squeezed her hand gently before whispering to her in thanks, his eyes blinking back tears. It felt as though a sea of fire had been quenched from within, replaced with waves of calm, until finally, there was only elation. For all the fighting they had done, neither of them would've traded it for such a feeling.

When Ashei and Shad finally looked up, Link and Ilia were staring back at them, unable to hide the shock on their faces before they immediately stifled their laughter.

"Oh, shut up," she scowled. "You all love him, too."

* * *

A gentle orange light touched the skies over the Mirror Chamber, casting all who dwelled below it in its rare and brilliant colour. It was here that Midna stood proudly at the crossroads of both worlds, her black robes swaying against the ankles of her true form. She watched as the sun sank into the hills, knowing it would be the last time she would see it in this world.

Link and Zelda waited, wordlessly, by her side. He had anticipated this day with a heavy heart. And now that it was finally here… it felt as though he'd been strapped down and forced to watch it play out before him.

Distancing himself from his grief, Link soon found his attention drawn to the Mirror as it danced against the evening sky, unable to discern the cracks that had divided it during Zant's reign. Soon, he would be left with little else of Midna but his memories. It was then, with some strange mixture of sadness and relief, that he realised he might actually _miss_ being a wolf.

"For all we have endured…" Zelda spoke at last, her voice ringing clear against the weight she carried in her eyes. "I am forever grateful for the time we spent together. I believe the Goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in our world because it was their design that we should meet. It was their intent that I should know you, as I do now."

Link held back on his words, straining to keep it together for Zelda.

He was certainly not above arguing against Midna's decision in the final hour. Especially when he'd seen just _how_ much the Twilight Princess had grown to care for their world, her compassion surprising him at every interval. But for all his ideals of shadow and light co-existing, and helping each other to rebuild from the ashes of their tyrants, he'd known that an accord would've been struck if such a future were feasible.

"Goodbye," Zelda said at last, with all the calm that she could muster.

Midna bridged the gap between them before pulling her close with a single arm. She then used her free hand to tilt Zelda's head up high, smiling, as she basked in her radiance for the final time. "Don't waste time blaming yourself when I'm gone. Your happiness is my happiness. And your sorrow is my sorrow. I'll always be able to feel it, in here," she said softly, now guiding Zelda's hand to her heart. "I'll always know."

And then the two embraced each other in parting.

"Goodbye, Zelda. Hyrule will grow strong with you leading it."

When it was Link's turn to address Midna, he could barely keep his tears from spilling over. The portal began to open in the background, singing to all who would listen in its dark and indiscernible language. "Link, I…"

He inhaled sharply before facing Midna once more. Her eyes burned back at him, dulled with regret at what was happening.

"… I owe you my life. My Kingdom. There aren't any words to properly thank you for what you've done. I can only hope that now, you get to live the life that you want. I won't be there to boss you around anymore… so you have to do a good job of it, alright?"

"Don't say goodbye." He choked. "Give us the chance to fix things. Our world can be better, we'll prove it to you!"

"… Maybe one day," Midna smiled. "When my own work is done."

She turned away from the others and then made her way up the stairs, looking back to hold their gaze until the Twilight swept her away. A single tear ran down one of her ashen cheeks, glittering in the light of the dying sun. "See you later."

Her final act of compassion drifted upon the wind, floating weightlessly in the air, before it pulled back towards the Mirror and shattered the glass. By some magic, the shards were obliterated beyond repair. And the road between worlds was no more.

* * *

"What do you suppose the others will do?" Shad had asked.

It was the afternoon following Midna's departure and Link had been left feeling raw from the encounter. He was still frustrated that there was nothing he could've done to stop it. If not for Zelda's sake, then for his _own,_ as one forever bound to her through their adversity. The moment she stepped through the Mirror replayed again and again in his mind, clouding his attention from the matter at hand.

"The others?"

"Our organisation voted to disband this morning," Shad reminded him, gently. "For the better, of course. But I hadn't the heart to ask any of them what their plans were, just yet." As much as it relieved the scholar to know where he stood with Link, it was daunting to consider the fact that every other facet of his life would be shuffled beyond recognition. Soon, _everybody_ would be forced to change. And time had run out for him to pretend otherwise.

"Ilia's gonna have a rough time choosing. It's your fault." Link laughed. "Well, yours and Telma's. She'll want to come home and fix things after the war. But once that's all settled down… maybe she'll come back? She never wants to go this long without seeing Epona again, though."

"I do wonder if there is some way she could keep both worlds," the scholar mused. "… Goddesses, I don't believe I will be able to handle Telma's reaction when it's time to say goodbye. Very soon it… might only be _us_ from the old gang. Rusl has his family back at Ordon and Auru is well-connected enough to resume his prior position."

Link recognised the change in his tone and looked up into Shad's face, only to see a startling blankness in his expression. The problem suddenly seemed obvious to him, even if the other man avoided bringing it up. "You don't know what Ashei's doing, huh?"

His question was met with a smile that never reached his eyes. "… She does not speak much of her home, so on that front I could not even guess. However, she did convey to me once that she enjoyed fighting for our cause. Apparently, we were quite the exception. But I must confess that… I… with our organisation dissolved, I..."

"You didn't want the Resistance to end," Link finished. "Cause it would've put you guys apart. Did I guess right?"

Shad sighed deeply before bringing a hand over his face. Presumably, to hide the embarrassment he felt upon being confronted with this by Link. After a life in which he'd chased after a single dream, the scholar had found something of a family in his colleagues… but the thought of being without his closest ally had crushed him into silence.

"Are you gonna talk to her about it?"

"I don't know. I feel as though I have no right to." He swallowed, before averting his gaze to the wall. "My relationship is with you, and I cannot stop others from pursuing their own destinies."

"… Alright Shad, look at me. It's my turn to give you advice," Link said, forcing himself to smile for the first time that afternoon. He grabbed both of the scholar's hands to hold his attention. After losing Midna to the impasse between their worlds, he wasn't about to let anybody else go without a solid case.

"What's the most important thing to come out of your group? What made you take those arrows? You didn't do it 'cause you guys were getting married after the fight."

The scholar chuckled heartily to himself, conceding his point.

"See? It's not that complicated. Just be honest with each other! Tell Ashei you'd like her to stay! Or you'll kick yourself for doing nothing. If it would help, I could always talk to her first-"

 _"Th-That…_ won't be necessary," Shad laughed, nervously. "I… er… have been meaning to ask you, actually… if it bothered you. The fact that we're so close."

Link looked back at the scholar as though he'd just spoken to him in Sky language. "Does it bother you how close I am to Ilia?"

"Oh, good heavens no!"

"Then, you get it. You two have a history together. And maybe it's more complicated than mine and Ilia's but all that matters is that we're there for each other. That's the stuff that's worth fighting for. I've been all over Hyrule and people like that are _rare,_ Shad."

Shad recalled Telma's focus on their community with new fervour. Indeed, the Resistance was gone. But Hyrule was in for a long-term recovery period. She needed talented people with skill, compassion and a keen mind. Could _they_ have been the right ones to guide it?

"You know Ashei's always hiding her feelings, right?" Link prompted. "She could be looking for a reason to stay. Her and Ilia are good friends now. And we could help each other! Come on, if there's a way for all of us to be happy I want to make it happen!"

"Ah, the Goddesses certainly weren't messing around when named you the bearer of courage." The scholar laughed again, shaking his head. "Alright then, Link. I… suppose I could give it a try."

* * *

 **AN:** *This Is Gospel plays*

Whoa.

It's been a rough ride. But our next chapter is a fancy ball, where we get all of the fluff! And after that will come our true ending, which has been planned all this time. Thank you for your continued readership!


	27. Dancing's Not a Crime

**AN:** Goddesses forgive me for this update! Life has been happening. This chapter also ended up being frightfully massive and... yep, you guessed it... it's been split. The end is waiting in the wings.

Please enjoy the chaos before we wrap this up!

* * *

 **Chapter 27 - Dancing's Not a Crime  
**  
"And _that…_ is how it is done."

The study floor had been converted into a dance hall, its furniture pushed to the windows and walls. It was a sleepy afternoon, and the summer sun drifted in through the glass, flickering over the tray of refreshments in the corner. The faint song of the street bards could be heard in the background.

A single hand joined Shad and Ilia, who stopped in the middle of the room to take a bow at the end of their latest set. Link smiled nervously as they released each other, inwardly cringing at the fact that he would never be able to match their finesse. The scholar was right. They'd done an excellent job. Meanwhile, Ashei was perched on one of the tables nearby, stretching backwards as she looked up at the ceiling.

"Ash!" Shad nearly shouted, losing his composure. "Did you not watch our demonstration?"

"Eh. You've seen it once, you've seen it a hundred times." She smirked, knowing just how frustrated he'd gotten from the tone of his voice.

"Come on Link, it's your turn to practice again. We can't have you stepping all over Zelda in front of an audience."

Link bit down on his lip at Ilia's reminder… and not-so-subtle burn. If only she could've traded places with him for a single night. Unlike him, she was a natural at dancing. And charming people. "But I've been going all afternoon. Isn't it Ashei's turn yet?"

"Oh, _no."_ The warrior sat up properly and levelled a glare at him, resisting the urge to throw a book at his head. "I said I'd _attend_ the ball but I'm not prancing around in front of those fools at the palace. I'm not there for anyone's entertainment." __

"Uh, if you're coming with us then you might not get a choice…?" he warned. "Zelda was pretty adamant about everybody being involved. And we really shouldn't be making things hard for her right now." The loss of Midna had struck him so hard, he could scarcely imagine what the Princess must have been going through.

"Hah! She's not my boss."

"Ashei, please. The Resistance are guests of _honour,"_ Shad clarified. "It will last but a single night. And that will require one dance, at the very least. This should be easy for you! Just think of it as a fighting discipline… with _manners."_

 _'A single night…'_ Link reminded himself. _  
_  
Ashei turned her harsh gaze to the scholar, her expression softening.

"This might be your one chance to really practice. Won't you at least consider it?" Shad frowned. "Rather than leaving it all up to the night?"

"I think you'd stop everyone in their tracks," Ilia added. "You're confident. And you already know how to move! Link just looks like a fawn finding its legs."

"Right here, you know. But I agree."

The warrior fought off the compliments with a scowl, even if she blushed at the thought of her teammates watching her on the battlefield. As promising as it might've seemed to them, nobody had given her lessons on how to handle herself in 'proper' society. Ceremony for the sake of ceremony was foolish, and not even the Princess was enough of a drawing card to put herself through something so pointless and embarrassing. She sighed in defeat. "I'll… think about it. Alright? I just need a moment."

Link immediately shot a look at Ilia, who'd read it and knew what it meant. All morning they had been hoping for Shad to talk with the warrior about her plans. With the ball encroaching fast, time was running out. "Well, while you're doing that we're gonna top up the drinks," the swordsman offered. "Be back soon."

And then the Ordonians vanished. Just as quickly as they had hatched their plan.

Eventually, Ashei hopped down from the table. Shad's excitement was palpable and his eyes lit up with ardour at the prospect that they might finally dance together. Unfortunately, the fact that Link and Ilia had deliberately left him alone went completely over his head. "Walk me through it," she said at last. "I can't make any promises though, yeah?"

"Wonderful!" His face lit up. "I was beginning to fear that you saw me as a sub-par dance partner."

With a quick snort Ashei then stepped forward, holding out her hand for him to take. "Don't make me regret this."

The scholar's grasp was soft and warm. She'd noticed how smooth his palms and fingers were against her own, leading her to wonder how they might've seemed compared to Link's. Smaller and colder. Tougher. More so than Ilia's hands, which were deceptively firm from years of hard work. They'd lived very different lives, yet somehow, they had all found themselves here. In this very town. At this point of history. The same souls entwined in their fates.

Her train of thought was soon replaced with mild discomfort as Shad brought his hand to her waist… clearing his throat as he motioned for her to hold onto his shoulder.

As strange as their lesson was, Ashei began to relax as she followed his instructions. They began by shuffling their way through the steps, moving forward and back, left and right, until muscle memory finally took over and the routine was locked into place. A pause soon followed, during which Shad pulled her at a strange angle, leading her into a spin. The warrior broke away from him immediately after, catching herself on the table and laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Is this… funny, to you?" he questioned, unsure whether he ought to feel affronted or amused.

"It just clicked," Ashei smirked. "This whole thing, it's like when I was teaching you to fight. You were _so_ bad at it. But you kept up… and it was fun."

"Ah!" Shad held a hand over his face. Now it was his turn to laugh. "Although, for the record, you are not doing as terrible a job as that. Your movement is fluid. Adaptive. Did I not tell you this would be easy?"

"Enough flattery." The warrior rolled her eyes as she took his hand again, intending to run through the set a second time. This time, he let her lead.

"I don't suppose you, uh… have plans to be retiring anytime soon?" Shad joked, though he met her gaze carefully to gauge her reaction. He'd been hit with the realisation that this might have been _his_ one chance to ask Ashei what her plans were after the conflict. And he had procrastinated it just as readily as she'd refused to dance.

"What, like I'd be giving up my career after the war?" she growled at him, clearly annoyed. "Is that what you expect of me?"

"N-No, that wasn't what I…!" He paused with a small sigh before following into the warrior's movements. "Apologies. I only meant that after the war there won't be so many monsters."

"Duh."

"And so… you have your whole future ahead of you."

"You're right. Could spend it knitting. Twirling in dresses. And kicking useless suitors to the curb. I'm sure you'd find that entertaining," she smirked, going light on the sarcasm.

"You deserve the best." He scoffed, affronted. "And you certainly will not find it from this town-"

 _'Oh, what are you saying?! You want Ashei to stay!'_

"Perhaps. But that sort of thing isn't enough for me. I wanna put my skills where they're most needed. War or no war," she said at last, releasing his hand. "That's all."

"Of… course."

He'd suspected as much… but the tone of their conversation had stung him. The room had grown very quiet, with only the distant music to break the silence. But then, the moment shattered when Link and Ilia opened the door. It hadn't escaped their notice that there was no sound of footsteps leading up to the moment and Shad resisted the urge to hide his face in embarrassment.

"You guys get some practice in?" the swordsman ventured, as naturally as he could. He held the door open as Ilia hurried in with another set of drinks and biscuits.

"Yeah, yeah." Ashei rolled her eyes. "But I've had enough for now. Evening's setting in and… I wanna see Telma for a bit." The warrior passed them on her way out, throwing the ghost of a smile over her shoulder as she went. It wounded Shad in a manner that Link picked up on instantly. Although, nobody but Ilia sensed the sadness in her voice.

"Thanks for the lesson, Shad. You were a great teacher."

* * *

Ashei threw back a glass of spirits, slamming it down onto the counter as the bite subsided.

For all of the crazy nights she'd spent at their headquarters throughout the year - where nothing _normal_ ever seemed to happen - she knew that she would miss this place most of all. Cold nights spent on the forest floor or in the mountains paled in comparison to having an actual bed, complete with home-cooked meals and unlimited liquor. And travelling alone, while therapeutic at first, sounded dull without some pressing objective.

Certainly, there was enough chaos in Hyrule Castle Town to keep one busy. As much as it made her cringe to know that she'd become attached to it. With some shame, she began to wonder just how soft she had become.

"Gotta say, I'm real proud of you, honey," Telma beamed over the counter. "You've been pushing so far out of your comfort zone lately."

Ashei looked up, broken from her own equally surprising train of thought. "Huh? You mean the… dancing?"

"Nothing as common as that." The proprietress tsk-ed. "You've got your own network now! People you'd place above any old conflict or triviality. You seem like a different girl from when you first walked in here."

So, it was true. "I… don't think so. Not really."

"Trust me on this," Telma assured, refilling her glass. "You seem happier than I've ever known you. There's a spark in your eyes that wasn't there in the beginning. And what I'm hoping is that you'll be able to apply that to your future. There's a whole world of opportunity out there for someone like you!"

"Honestly, I'm… not so sure," Ashei said quietly, the edge of her lips curving into a smile. "Embarrassing, huh? That someone like me doesn't have a plan yet."

"Nobody's got it all figured out." The proprietress laughed. "Life just might throw something your way to shake things up! When I was your age, I never planned on owning a bar. But here I am! And here _you_ are. Accomplished and alive, honey."

Ashei finished her drink before she continued. She noticed that Telma's eyes seemed to be following something over her shoulder, though she was well beyond caring to check what it was for herself. Perhaps she had wanted someone to hear her, after all. "Maybe I am… happy here. Like you said. But how long can that last without the war?"

Ilia propped herself onto the seat next to her. "You never know," she interjected. "I never expected to come into this bar and meet so many new and wonderful people. There could be something just as surprising waiting for you here."

The warrior was glad to see that it was her. "Shouldn't you be up there giving Link a run for his money?"

"Dancing's easy! So, I can afford to be spending my time on other things," she said, mirroring her smile. "Like for example, do you both know what you're wearing on the night?"

"Oh!" Telma's face lit up as though she had been dying for somebody to bring up the ball. She leaned over the counter and swept her dreadlocks over her shoulder, face-jewels glinting in the light. "I have the most _stunning_ gown. Floor-length in violet and gold! Gorgeous embroidery all along the bodice and hem! I know. I _know._ It sounds a bit much but I decided… I bust my back in this place all day, everyday. I've earned it. Why not go all out? Who's there to stop me?!"

"Uh, wow! That sounds spectacular!" Ilia blinked, feeling out of her depth. She could scarcely imagine something so exquisite.

Ashei merely snorted. "I don't own anything like that."

"Not even for a once-in-a-lifetime event?!"

"Actually, I brought it up because I think _I_ need to go shopping," Ilia added, nervously. "All my clothes are at home and even then, I don't remember any dresses. Definitely nothing as fancy as that."

The proprietress immediately stood up straight, her mood ruined and a fire burning in her eyes. "I've heard enough. We're going out."

"We're… what?!" Ashei paled. "No. This isn't necessary. Why can't I just go in the armour I used when I brought down an _entire battalion?_ More value in that outfit than your average dress."

"Because we're not savages, honey. And you'll slay thrice as many men after I'm done with you."

The warrior groaned loudly. It had suddenly become apparent to her how Telma and Shad were such good friends. However, the thought of showing up out-of-place just to throw it into the faces of all the useless nobles wasn't without merit. She looked to the door, knowing that it might be her last chance to escape before she was once again ripped from her comfort zone.

"ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY!" Telma announced. "WE'RE CLOSING EARLY TODAY! And now, you ladies are coming with _me."_

* * *

"Ah. Link?"

It was the eve of the ball.

And although he'd done his best to hide it, the hero was fiercely dreading the prospect of being thrust into the spotlight. First, they would need to pass through the crowds on the streets. Then there would be a welcoming speech from the Princess, who seemed ever ready to press on with her affairs, despite the vulnerability they both shared. Followed by small-talk with visiting dignitaries, dancing with members of the court, being paraded about as a guest of honour…

People from Ordon and Kakariko would be there. People who knew the version of him that existed beyond his tales of heroism. The entire experience was going to be as surreal as it was jarring.

Worse still, Zelda had offered to shoulder most of the public's attention on his behalf. Given everything that had happened to her and the entirety of the Kingdom, he had no idea how the Princess was going to be able to smile through such an event. She was made of something else. The kind of inner-strength one could only hone by themselves.

He had tasted it first-hand.

"… Hello? Link. Are you present?"

Shad stood with Link just outside of the tavern, straightening the front of his outfit. Stopping only to click his fingers.

The hero was wearing a formal suit in deep green, with a crimson under-shirt and gold trimming. The Triforce and Royal Crest were sewn onto the chest and tails of the coat, finished off with tights, high leather boots and long gloves. The Royal tailor had turned up on their doorstep one afternoon… much to the ire of Ashei and flirtatious enthusiasm of Telma.

Not wanting to draw any further attention to their group, Shad had kept himself to a simple cream blouse with a cravat, beneath a royal purple waistcoat and dark brocaded pants. The gold glasses and warm colours in his hair complemented the ensemble with minimal effort. And although nobody could see it, he was happy enough to include a watch on a chain, a keepsake from his father for events such as this.

"Good heavens, I thought you'd left us." He chuckled lightly. "Now, how are you feeling about all of this?"

Link fixed his attention back onto the task at hand. "Oh, I… I'm fine. Sorry."

"We're past the point of pretending, aren't we?" Shad frowned. "Here, old boy. Take my hand. And we will get through this night together. If you need some air, just say the word! I have plenty of injuries that need resting. Oh, and conversation starters about the state of my research. I'll use them on _anybody,_ royalty included!"

The swordsman laughed quietly, though he soon found himself looking to the pavement. His face tinged with guilt. "Shad… I feel awful about this. You've worked so hard and you deserve to have fun tonight."

"This _is_ fun," he scoffed, waving away his concerns. "Looking after you on the most important night of our lives? It is a dream. And to ask for anything more would be foolish."

"… Midna was right about you." Link finally smiled.

"Oh? And what did Midna have to say about me?"

He answered Shad's question with a quick kiss on the lips, finding himself more confident than ever in doing so. The scholar returned his affection before the two simply held each other, quietly. The city torches flickered against the deep sky as the murmuring sounds of the townspeople dwindled in the background. "Um, Shad. Is there… something _big_ in your pocket?" Link finally asked, noticing the edge of something suspiciously sturdy against his body.

"Something? I-In _here?"_ he questioned. "I… don't know what you mean! Why, there's scarcely any room for my keys or my watch!"

There was the sound of muffled laughter from behind the front door.

"Wow. Smooth."

And then, the door opened. Shad brought a hand to his lips and blinked furiously, his eyes _staring_ ahead at stranger in front of him.

She was just as pale and just as tall as his friend. But clothed in a long, flowing dress of the deepest red. Unlike most of the other ball-gowns he'd seen, it came in narrow around the legs and spilled around her ankles. The upper half of the ensemble was caged within an intricate centrepiece of gold armour, melded into the shape of a corset. Her raven-black hair had been braided and pinned halfway up into a loose style, her eyelids and lips the colour of red wine.

 _"Ah!"_

"Don't look at me like that," Ashei glared back at him, defensively. "Telma picked the outfit. Ilia did the makeup. All I did was go to the armoury to make it… wait Shad, are you crying? Are you _actually_ crying right now?"

"… Ashei, y-you look… I… I can't." He sniffed, turning away in embarrassment. The scholar had pictured her in a dress before but it was certainly nothing of this magnitude. "I can't believe it... is this really happening?"

"That's _it._ I'm getting changed."

"No, you're not," Ilia smiled, catching her arm as she turned to leave. "We did a good job, didn't we Link?"

Link spotted her over Ashei's shoulder and was utterly blindsided by the sight of his childhood friend.

She wore an airy dress of fabrics that were layered one on top of the other, creating endless shades of green. The bodice was a shade of rich emerald, almost as dark as the suit he wore, contrasting against her neck and shoulders before they fell down into a lighter gradient. Her eyes were framed with a rare gold pigment. Upon her hair sat a small crown of leaves, woven with white and yellow flowers.

"Ilia…?" he gasped. And then he then rushed over towards her, touching the crown with the tips of his fingers. "This is… wow. You both look amazing! The most beautiful I think I've ever seen."

"Thank you!" she beamed. "Wild, isn't it? That we're all going out like this. I can't wait."

"People from home are gonna lose it when they see you. And uh, speaking of, is your Dad coming?"

"He's meeting us there," Ilia replied with a wink. "I just wanted to prove to him that… I'm okay. That I've been doing well here. He hasn't met anyone from the city apart from Rusl, so we have to leave a good impression. It'll really help him to deal with everything that's happened. Alright?"

"I will do my utmost," Shad nodded, fervently.

"Good! Cause he really wanted to meet you. Rusl sort of… wrote about us in the letters he sent off. Nothing serious. I think."

"He… _wouldn't._ Would he?"

"It's alright," Link laughed, joining his arm onto the scholar's once more. "I'll explain we're together. Bo's reasonable and he helped raise me. I think you'll be safe from his wrath."

"Actually," Ilia frowned. "Dad might be protective of you, too. And see Shad as playing around if we all seem too… close? So let's not be overly affectionate in front of him."

 _"I could never-"  
_  
"She just means don't go running around with the three of you holding hands!" Ashei interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Or making eyes at each other! I should know, I had to put up with it for months."

"Maybe you could get involved to throw him off?" Link teased. "Four of us would be even _more_ confusing."

"I could always pin you to the dancefloor with these heels, if you wanted to get things started."

The sound of hooves echoed into the quadrangle from the main street before coming to a halt. A carriage had pulled over to collect them, which was fitted with curtains much to Link's relief. Ilia could only think of how flammable it might've been under the wrong circumstances. "Alright, everyone." Shad ushered. "I'm here to ensure that the rest of our evening goes smoothly. So let us put our best faces forward! That means no more death-threats, Ash."

She flashed a smirk his way before escorting Ilia up the stairs. Fancy footwear was beyond both of their experiences but they handled it well. Finally, the scholar felt those familiar calloused fingers enclose around his own. Nervously. More so than he'd ever let on in the City in the Sky.

"I'll be fine once we get there." Link smiled.

"Of course you will," Shad nodded. "Hyrule Castle was fresh out of dragons, last time I checked."

* * *

The journey to the castle went smoothly, though nobody appeared to be in a talking mood until the sound of the people cheering in the square nearly drowned everything out. At that point, Ilia started up a quick conversation game to hold Link's attention. They were halfway through two truths and a lie - in which Shad felt daring enough to bring up the book his family 'borrowed' from the Royal Archives - before the door opened and he nearly jumped out of his seat.

Ashei frowned at the scholar immediately, her eyes stern.

 _'No. Shad. You didn't.'  
_  
But they were already here.

"Ladies first!" the chauffeur called.

Ilia stepped carefully onto the garden pavement, followed by Ashei who smacked the unfamiliar hand of their host away. Shad was next. And then there was Link, who accepted his help gratefully. To his immense relief there were no crowds _inside_ of the castle grounds. Guards were present at the gate. And the only sounds were the idle chatter of other guests along with the faint music of strings contained within the building.

The scholar was briefing him intently about court etiquette before Link squeezed his hand, entirely unconcerned. "You can relax now. No more worrying, alright?"

"Yes… but _do_ remember the signal we've established. I will be there for you in a flash." _  
_  
"Hey," Ilia said quietly to Ashei. "It's been a while… but this place still makes me nervous. I don't know how I'm gonna feel when we get inside and Link already has enough on his mind."

"Oh."

Of _course_ she knew that they were going back to the place where everything had very nearly unravelled. But it wasn't until now that the warrior realised just what that meant. Looking around now she could see the familiar walls that bordered the castle grounds, free from rubble and smoke and decorated with new shrubbery. It was hard to believe that they'd been trapped in there like animals and made to fight their way out.

Soon, they would be walking right into the ballroom where Dark Link had dragged Ilia and used her like a bargaining chip. On their way, they would pass over the steps where she had ripped the arrows from Shad's body. It was no wonder that Link was apprehensive about the, given his battle with the Evil King in the upper reaches of the castle.

"Don't worry. I had a few alterations made to the dress," Ashei replied in hushed tones, now feeling perfectly validated in her choice to do so. She opened one of the folds in her dress to reveal a dagger on the inside, encased within a slip of fabric. "Wouldn't touch my hairpins either, if I were you."

"Does _Telma_ know about this?"

"… You're safe with me. If you can keep it quiet."

The younger girl laughed, concealing her amusement with a hand. "There's no need to go that far. I just wondered… if you could stay in the moment with me? It would make this whole thing much easier. I'll try to do the same for you."

"Sure." Ashei nodded in accord.

And then she extended her arm, following suit behind Link and Shad.

Already, they could feel the eyes of the guests upon them. They passed groups of people garbed in luxurious silks, fancy hats and chiffon gowns, stopping their conversations only to glimpse at the swordsman and his entourage. The Ordonians did their best to wave politely while Shad could only flash an awkward smile in passing. In contrast, Ashei was expressionless. She wondered whether any of these nobles or guards had lifted a finger during the crisis at hand.

They reached the end of the entrance hall where an announcer took their names. Then, at last, they came out onto the floor of the ballroom.

If the state of the castle grounds was surprising then the ballroom was nothing short of unbelievable. Dreamlike. To Ilia's relief all of the torches were lit, though turned down just a touch in light, casting a subdued brilliance over the room.

The white walls of the castle were decorated with banners of the Royal Crest, their reflection visible upon the polished tiles. Thankfully, it was quieter in here than in the bustle outside… and with far more familiar faces. Upon first glance one could see Gorons and Zoras intermingled with various in Hylians. None of which were wearing fancy hats.

 **"And now presenting… Sir Link, the Hero of Light."  
**  
Just as he cringed at his new title and the smattering of applause, he locked eyes with Rusl and Uli from across the room, the latter of which was now heavily pregnant. She seemed happy enough to be in attendance as she and her husband waved to them in greeting.

"Hey, let's go say hello," he suggested, pulling Shad along obediently.

 **"Accompanied by Master Shad and Lady Ashei of the Resistance. And Lady Ilia of the Ordona Province."**

"Lady Ilia…?" The younger girl blinked. And then she looked around, dismayed to see no sign of her father yet. "Um... wow. This whole thing is gonna take some getting used to."

"You don't say," Ashei scowled. "I mean, where _were_ all of these people when we needed them? Rioting in the town square? Closing businesses and running away when that barrier appeared in the sky? This whole thing is utterly ridiculous."

"Ilia!" greeted a new and far younger voice. "And Ashei. Do you remember meeting me? You and Link… fell into my throne-room."

They both turned and saw Prince Ralis standing behind them. He was accompanied by two Zoras in full armour, their glaives pointing to the ceiling. Ilia nearly burst into tears upon seeing his face, which was far healthier from when she had last left him in Renado's care. The boy exuded a bright and inquisitive aura not unlike Rusl's son.

"Oh! Good evening, Ralis! I'm so happy to see you well!" She sniffed. "And I received your letter, of course. Ashei got it to me in one piece."

"I'm happy to hear that."

The warrior felt something unwelcome stirring within her as their conversation continued - her memories of Queen Rutela threatening to resurface. She had seen what had become of his mother. And it had changed her. Made her combative and suspicious from the moment she'd stepped back into town. Looking back on it, she was certain she had taken most of this frustration out on Shad.

"Hey… kid, uh, I mean Prince. _Prince_ Ralis," she said in passing. "You're… doing a really good job. You're a strong, confident leader. I just wanted to tell you that. And, uh… sorry about your throne-room."

"It was no trouble at all." He smiled. "We had that fixed months ago. And thank you, very kindly. I hope you both have a wonderful night."

Ilia frowned slightly as the Prince took his leave. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah." Ashei exhaled. "I'm… fine."

"I know that look by now," she huffed. "You've got something unpleasant on your mind. Why don't we check out the refreshments and sit down for a moment? Maybe we could talk about your _plans-"_

 **"Presenting Madam Telma of the Resistance and Master Auru of the Resistance and Royal Household."  
**  
The younger girl sighed inwardly, knowing that this was a conversation Shad would have to initiate himself sooner or later. "Or we could go and show Telma how stunning your final look is?"

"… Just this once." The warrior smirked, knowing that Telma would be even more excited to show off her ensemble.

* * *

Zelda stood silent behind the curtain, hands resting at her sides.

She wondered how such affairs might have proceeded in the Twilight Realm. If Midna had been a prime example of her people then tonight would have seemed quite the waste of resources. Perhaps the Twili didn't celebrate much beyond the coronation of own rulers… to the extent that they brought peace upon their once-warring realm. In that respect they were not so different from Hyrule after all.

 **"Her Royal Highness will now attend the court."  
**  
Following her cue, the Princess stepped out onto the dais. Every soul in the room rose to their feet and followed with a bow, though Ashei looked uncomfortable before she had done so. Shad seemed to appear out of nowhere as he discreetly pulled their group to the front. Rusl, Auru and Telma were already waiting for them.

Zelda regarded them from the platform, wearing a billowing gown of pure white, frosted like the colour of powder snow. Shimmering gold leaves were stuck against her shoulders, coming down to conceal the line where her skin ended and the dress began. The blue stones in her crown, necklace and belt were enhanced by the ivory that swept over the rest of her body.

As much as she had personally wished to do without the ceremony, she knew that this was the beginning of a new era for Hyrule. Their country had been left leaderless for too long and she could not falter in her duty.

She locked eyes with Link, whose mouth stirred into a smile, wishing she could do more for him. His sense of self. His purpose. His _home._ She had seen them all erased through Midna's eyes and knew, regretfully, that her station could only alienate him further. The best gift she could bestow upon him now was a good life with the people who'd seen both sides of his story… and cherished him, in spite of its horrors.

"We are gathered here today to recognise the valour and bravery of those who answered the call of Hyrule in her darkest hour."

Keeping the moment as brief as possible, Zelda presented a medal to each of the guests of honour. Their manner was solemn, though the looks in their eyes ranged from ardent… surprised… tired. Not one of them believing of their position. Finally, the band struck up once more. And it was time to dance.

"Follow my lead," the Princess said softly as she took Link's hand, leading him out onto the floor. To her great surprise the hero appeared to know what he was doing. Even if he moved _hesitantly_ , unable to relax for fear of trampling over his dance partner.

"Shad gave me lessons," Link whispered.

Zelda stifled a laugh, smiling back at him. "Please send him my regards."

As the music entered into a new phase, the others began to join in. Ilia found herself led onto the floor by an enthusiastic Prince Ralis. Rusl and Uli swayed gently to the music. Telma accepted Auru's offer and they stepped onto the floor with confidence. Shad looked sharply to Ashei, who seemed to be avoiding his gaze. _'One_ dance,' he mouthed. 'For me?'

She sighed and took his hand. Though they hadn't practiced to the extent of the others, their movements came back to them easily. The scholar was always one step ahead, guiding the warrior's movements as her feet clicked into place. She soon grew confident, rising to meet him at his level. For all of their differences they seemed to thrive together.

"… I hate this _so_ much," Ashei smiled.

"Hopefully not enough to leave Hyrule altogether," Shad chuckled, nervously.

"Everyone's looking at us. It's stupid."

"Ah, but can you blame them? Look at us. Look at _you."_

When the song ended, they bowed to each other - the warrior blushing lightly as he kissed the back of her hand. She'd thanked him before letting him go. And then, before anybody else could make a move onto Link, Shad rushed in, catching his hands with a crooked smile. "You handled that well, my love."

"Just for you." Link laughed, though the shock of being thrust into the spotlight with the Princess hadn't worn off yet. At least with Shad he had the opportunity to pretend that it was _only_ them, dancing alone in the study as the sun went down. Before Ashei was able to flee, she found Ilia in the place of the scholar, guiding her gently into the next set.

"You know… if tonight's anything to go by… I think I can survive," Link continued, drinking in the sight of his partner. "And I forgot to say so before but I'm really excited for you too, Shad. Maybe we should celebrate when your next book comes out? Something small… with just our friends."

"Oh Link, that sounds wonderful."

 _'My book!'_ He panicked inwardly, eyes widening with alarm. 'All of the eyes of the court are upon us, and yet _now_ might be my only chance to act. Security will never again be this lacking in our lifetime.' __

The scholar finished the rest of the dance with intense fervour, unaware of the Princess Zelda who was watching them from afar. The sight of them together on the dancefloor eased her worries. If only there was some way she could have conveyed her feelings about it to Midna.

'… I know he's an idiot but he's my idiot. Look out for him when I'm gone, won't you?' Her melodic voice echoed. It seemed odd but what she missed now, above all, was the Twilight Princess's ability to speak plainly. She knew she would never find another like that within her own court.

Zelda took a bow from Prince Ralis and used the lull in the music to take a momentary break, slipping into the background as carefully as she could. It was not without notice, as many of the nobles watching were visibly distressed at losing their opportunity to dance.

"Now, tell me honestly…" Shad began, keeping his voice as low as possible while he spoke into his partner's ear. "Would you be alright if I were to disappear for a brief window of time? There is… something important I must do, Link. To restore my family's honour. The details of which cannot be uttered within this building."

Link made a face before quickly reeling in his expression. He could almost hear Midna's voice admonishing him for being too suspicious. "What are you talking about?"

"I shall provide an apology and a full explanation later. And, uh… make it up to you… _however_ you see fit. Provided that is agreeable to you." He blushed painfully hard as the words escaped his lips. But the offer was a success.

"I'll be alright. Go for it, Shad," Link winked. "I trust you."

The scholar had only managed a couple of steps before he was intercepted in the middle of his disappearing act.

"… Hey! Where are you going?" Ashei demanded. "You can't just drag me out here and then disappear!"

"A-Ah, my injuries are suddenly acting up, you see!" Shad replied, a little too loudly. "I shall return soon! Do ask Ilia to save me a dance." And then he moved out, clutching his shoulder as he ducked through the crowd. Link stepped in front of Ashei as _she_ went to leave, hoping to buy the scholar some extra time. In addition to having his own curiosity sated.

"Hey. Are you really gonna dance with Shad and Ilia, and not me?" He grinned. "Think of all the moves we could pull off."

The warrior knew a distraction when she saw one. But she smirked back at the hero in response… knowing that it might be more fun to indulge him instead. "Alright. Make it interesting."

She took Link's hand as he held her waist, the pair passing Ilia and the Zora Prince once again. Initially she'd wondered if it might be awkward on some level, with both of them showing the least amount of enthusiasm for dancing, however the warrior was surprised to discover how similar their movements were. A little stiff and restrained. But diligent. Precise. Leaving plenty of room for those around them.

"… Dare you to let me launch you," Ashei murmured. "You can flip backwards and land on your feet, yeah?"

"Nice try." The swordsman laughed. "You're not getting us kicked out of here. Although, I don't think these guards have anything on you."

"Can say that again."

An idea suddenly popped into Link's head. "… Hey. Can I lift you instead?"

 _"What_?" she said, affronted.

"You said make it interesting! And I wanna try something new."

The warrior consented with a raised eyebrow, unused to anybody being so foolish with her in tow. Without hesitation, Link gripped Ashei with both hands and then lifted her effortlessly above his head, spinning her over the room. Her red dress fluttered around in the commotion as she threw her head back and laughed - _actually_ laughed - her eyes tearing up from the absurdity of it all. When the song ended, she thumped the hero on the shoulder and leant in close to ruffle his hair. "Thanks for the ride. I think we made them jealous."

"Let's do it again, sometime."

But together they had failed to notice the guards, now gathered upon them from the edge of the crowd.

"Lady Ashei, is it?" one of them interrupted, politely. "If you would be so kind as to come with us a moment."

"I don't take orders from you." She scoffed.

"We must insist, upon the honour of the Princess Zelda."

"Is there a problem?" Link asked, as Ilia rushed over to join them.

"… It's fine," Ashei growled. She cut him off with a raised hand, refusing any special treatment due to their status. And then she followed the squad to the far side of the ballroom, glaring the entire time. "What's your problem? Am I under arrest?"

"Nothing of the sort. But with great respect, we must ask that you turn in your weapons at once. You may have them back at end of the night," another guard replied, thankfully out of earshot of the other guests.

"Oh, yeah? And how'd you see those?" the warrior snarled. _"Which ONE of you creeps… was_ _looking up my dress?!"_

The guards looked to each other and immediately fell silent, not one of them brave enough to answer the question.

* * *

The castle archives were utterly breath-taking at this hour.

Shad wandered through the wing with bated breath, counting his lucky stars that it hadn't been locked. It had been years since he'd set foot in this place and the image had stuck with him in its absence. The faint songs of the ballroom and ebbing light from the outside torches transformed the library into a world of fantasy and illusion. Despite the terror of the siege, the books had survived, filling the room with the musk of old paper. This was the place where it all began. Where the scholar's dream of the Sky had manifested, beyond the pressures placed upon him by his father.

The very least he could do to repay these walls was return the lost text to its home and perhaps gift the rest of his resources to the Princess once his transcripts were complete. If the world ever had need of them in the future, then they would know where to find them.

Shad reached into his waistcoat and pulled out the book he'd hidden within. "Thank you." He said to it in farewell.

Before he was interrupted by a startlingly familiar voice.

"And who might you be?"

 _"ACK!"  
_  
The scholar dropped the book in his fright, his heart hammering in his ears. It was over. They had found him and he would surely be arrested for daring to pilfer the archives like a common rat. He stared towards the silhouette that stood mere paces away, blinking as she summoned an orb of light in the palm of her hand. "P-P… Princess… Zelda?" he struggled.

"… Oh! You are the scholar, Shad."

She stepped forward and then extended her hand. The shock paralysed him but he dared not refused it. "It is quite alright. You may stay," Zelda reassured him with a nod. "Our castle has quite the collection but I'm sorry to say that it has been neglected over the years. Our arts and knowledge have fallen into disarray."

"I-I… uh… am surprised to hear you say that, Your Highness. And I must offer you my most humble and profound apologies for sneaking in. I… suppose I couldn't help myself. Natural curiosity," he explained, bowing as low as his injuries would permit.

"May I ask which book you happened to be reading?"

"This? … Oh!" Shad grasped the book off the floor and then gestured to the front cover. He prayed to Nayru that Zelda had no knowledge of it actually being missing. "I- I saw this title and, well… I was drawn to it because it concerns a rather obscure area of study. Which also happens to be my _own_ area of specialty."

"The Oocca." Zelda smiled.

He blushed and then went to slip the text back into the nearest bookshelf, _struggling_ to make it fit as the Princess watched on with quiet amusement. It seemed that a huge weight had been lifted off the scholar after he stepped away. Even if the book was still partially jutting out from the case.

"I believe I might have seen you before, although we were never properly introduced. It was many years ago now, long before the war."

"Truly?" Shad balked.

"Yes. When I was about ten years old. You used to visit the archives with your father, did you not?"

"Ah!" And then the memories came floating back. "Yes, Princess, that would be me. I-I can only hope that I hadn't done anything _embarrassing_ to have stayed in your memory all these years."

"Not at all," Zelda smiled, though far more softly this time. "I was often relegated to my classroom as a child. But I can remember watching you from my window. I rarely had the opportunity to meet with others outside of events such as these and we were around the same age. Secretly I… had wished we could be friends."

"Oh I… hadn't the faintest idea." He blushed again. It was almost impossible to believe. The Princess had a reputation for maintaining a respectable distance at all times, despite her fame as a public figure.

"I see now that you've provided wonderful support for Link in these difficult times. Therefore, if there is anything I might pledge to ease your burdens, you need only ask," she offered. "You have my gratitude, Shad."

'Ease my burdens?' he thought, wildly.

'I could never! Why should I be in a position to ask anything of the Princess? I would never have made it anywhere without… without-'

The prospect of Ashei being lost to the world after the ball came crashing down upon him again. He had danced around it for days, despite Link's assurance for him to address it. But perhaps the reason he had put it off for so long was the fact that he felt he had little to offer. He could never ask anybody to stay in one place, simply to entertain his fear of abandonment.

 _'I wanna put my skills where they're most needed. War or no war.'_

Shad cleared his throat before he ventured along the following train of thought, making peace with his fears. "… Forgive my boldness, Your Highness but… I was wondering at the state of your infantry in the aftermath of the war. Specifically, your guards. It seems that they are stretched rather thin at the moment."

"Indeed," Zelda acknowledged. "We are expecting an influx of cadets during our restoration efforts. However, we are still missing a number of high-ranking officials. They… perished in the siege. Most urgently I am in need of a Knight-Captain."

His eyes lit up instantly, mind clicking into gear. "Then might I nominate a most worthy candidate? My colleague, Ash - erm, the Lady Ashei."

"Lady Ashei," Zelda repeated carefully. "The same Lady Ashei my guards warned me about not a moment ago? Apparently she had a dagger sewn into the hem of her dress."

"… Why, yes." Shad sighed, now utterly mortified. _"That_ Lady Ashei."


	28. To Be Loved

AN: This is the second part of our celebration before a time-skip and epilogue, which will be uploaded in the next and final chapter! :) Thank you to everybody who soldiered on this far!

CW: Implied sexual content in this chapter. I've upgraded the classification to M for this reason. You have been warned.

* * *

 **Chapter 28 - To Be Loved**

"Shad! There you are!"

Shad had barely managed to step out into the hall before Ilia rushed over to him and snatched his wrist. There was a menacing glint in her eye and her rosy lips were pointed into a frown. To his immense relief, none of the nearby guests were able to pick up on the tone of their conversation, though that hadn't lessened his fright. He knew he was in for it now.

"What have you been doing? Where have you _been?!"_ she scolded.

"M-My injuries!" he stumbled. "Why, they started acting up again after the dance-"

The Ordonian narrowed her eyes at him, her words scathing. "Please! You never made a sound back when _…_ all _that stuff_ happened with you-know-who. So, there's no way I can believe you ditched Link for that reason. Tell me what's going on. Now. Or I'll be very upset with how you've treated him this evening."

Shad's cheeks turned a particularly painful shade of pink. He'd never intended for his foray into the archives to go longer than a couple of minutes. But by some great accident, Princess Zelda had seen an end to that. He was still reeling with shock from the encounter. "I concede that it was rude of me to vanish for so long. And I would not have done it _…_ if not to make reparations for my father's past," he said with an apologetic bow, hoping it was enough for him to escape the specifics.

Ilia blinked back at him. "Your father? Wh _…_ What did he do?"

"Another time. Perhaps when we are alone, yes?" the scholar hushed, scanning his eyes around the room. "But please, will you at least tell me how Link is faring? Even with you here, I would've thought that he and Ashei could survive on their own."

"Ashei's gone too," she said bluntly.

" _…_ Ah."

"Ah?"

"I-I mean _…_ Ah! Good _heavens!"_ Shad gasped. "What could have possibly happened to her?"

"I don't know!" The younger girl sighed, exasperated. "None of us do! One minute we were dancing, the guards asked her to go with them and then she never came back! And now, to top it all off, Dad's here. I had to leave him with Link while I went out looking for both of you! _…_ Agh Shad, this is so awful. I promised her we'd look out for each other and now she's _gone."_

"You promised _…_? Oh. Just like you did for her in the hospital." As the realisation crept over Shad's face, his efforts to stall the night from becoming a disaster screeched to a halt. In their days spent apart, he had failed to notice how strong their friendship had grown.

"You didn't see it before," Ilia sniffed. "When Ashei was talking to Ralis, she zoned out and suddenly started saying all these nice things to him. Not that _she_ isn't nice but I think _…_ she remembered something bad. On top of being stressed about the future and whether things between _you_ will be alright, I can't imagine how she must be feeling now."

Without hesitation Shad moved in close and then pulled Ilia into a hug. Despite the warmth of his gesture, his eyes were fixed firmly onto floor. "Ilia _…_ I'm so sorry, my dear. If I knew what was going on, we'd go and get Ash back this instant. None of this is a reflection on you either, you are a treasure of a friend to have."

"Thank you," she said softly, pressing her chin against his shoulder.

"All I can offer is that I _…_ uh _…_ might have done my best to _help_ the situation. By sharing a word with Princess Zelda. However, if we were to get involved now I fear we might only make things worse."

"Wait, WHAT?!"

Shad flinched. And the surrounding party guests were now thoroughly invested in whatever was going on between the girl in the green dress and the nervous man who'd released her from his arms.

 _'Isn't that the country girl who was dancing with Prince Ralis? How quaint.'  
_  
 _'Along with the hero's butler? Great Goddesses, it appears as though they're making plans to elope-'  
_  
"You spoke to the Princess? What is going _on_ with you?" Ilia hissed over the noise, now mildly furious with him. "What aren't you telling me about this, Shad?"

"Alright! Please! Let us lower our voices, first _…_ " he begged. The scholar pulled her swiftly around a corner, away from the gaggle of noblewomen and the masked man who were watching them from the balcony. " _…_ As it turns out, Ashei managed to smuggle some weapons into the ball. In some rather _…_ odd places, I might add. The Princess was alerted of this threat and she asked me for more information on our friend. After I complied, I simply took my leave."

"Oh. Those." Ilia exhaled with relief. " _…_ Oh Shad, I'm so glad. I was worried there was something else going on, like a conspiracy against us in the court. We really stick out here, you know."

" _…_ Now, hold on just a second my dear. You KNEW about those?!" Shad spluttered. The Ordonian looked back at him as though this were the most normal conversation she'd had all night. "Well, yes. She showed me."

He blushed again, reminding himself that the girls had actually gotten ready together. Although, the image of Ilia painting Ashei's eyes only made it harder for him to stop.

"Don't tell Dad about this mess," Ilia prompted. "We're gonna go and meet him now, alright? And then we can get back to finding Ashei. Together, the three of us can fix anything."

"Y-Yes _…_ "

Shad began to follow her into the crowd before he put a hand on her shoulder, his feet weighing heavily against the ground. "Ilia! Wait _…_ m-my apologies. I'm actually feeling rather _…_ nervous about this. About meeting your family. Daring to put myself next to Link, as feeble in strength as I am. Even the children from your village noticed it when I visited Kakariko. How could I possibly measure up to _him_ in such a scenario?"

She met his concerns with a frown, though her tone was reassuring. "That doesn't matter! Not when your knowledge helped to save Hyrule. We're not exactly a village of warriors, you know. It's fine Shad, trust me."

"If only that were all," the scholar sighed. "Not so long ago, we were strangers. We had no idea what this conflict would do to us _…_ how it would _change_ us and now _…_ w-well, the four of us are-"

"A little tangled together. Yes, I'm aware. But that's nothing to be ashamed of," she smiled. "I will always vouch for you, Shad. I might not remember every detail about my home but I know enough to say that we'll be fine. You're safe. Link is safe. We just need to show Dad that this experience has been good for me. That's all."

" _…_ Alright, my dear. I believe we can manage that."

And then she took his hand and led him through the crowd.

* * *

Ashei glared back at the back of the guards' heads as they escorted her up a spiralling flight of stairs. She had to wonder why they'd made such a fuss after keeping her removal as discreet as possible. The vivacity of the celebrations faded further into memory as they made their way towards the mystery room. It was rather quiet in this corridor, although one could still hear the orchestra beneath the floor.

"Enough bullshit," the warrior scowled. "You take my weapons, declare that I'm _not_ under arrest within earshot and then force me to some unknown location? You know I don't need those daggers to hurt you if you even think about laying a hand on me, yeah?"

"W-We would never do such a thing! Not to anyone, Lady Ashei!" one of the guards stammered. "You are an honoured guest of Her Highness. And that means you will be safe with us, for as long as you follow her laws."

" _…_ I can see it now," she smirked. "My hairpins _…_ going straight into that gap under your helmet. I wonder how far your screams would carry through these halls?"

"Please do not force us to confiscate your hairpins," the other guard sighed. "It would be quite a shame if we were to ruin your look before a meeting with the Princess."

" _…_ What?"

They had stopped abruptly at the end of a hall, which opened out into a balcony framed by a grand archway. Ashei couldn't see beyond the shoulders of the new guards who were posted there. They wore slightly different uniforms, each with a red eye set into the chest-pieces of their armour. She suddenly recalled some of Shad's ramblings about the Eye of Truth and its connection to the Royal Family.

 _'Hah. I wonder how badly he'll blow up when he hears about Zelda getting involved.'  
_  
"You shall receive _one_ warning, Lady Ashei," the more stoic of her escorts began. "Her Highness is highly proficient in magic and the way of the sword. She is more than capable of defending herself and we recommend that you show her the utmost respect. Fail to do so, and the Princess will be the least of your worries. Is that understood?"

The warrior cast a sideways glance at the fumbling men who had delivered her to the Princess, along with the silent ones who shadowed them now. Vulnerable in her confusion, she finally let up with a nod. The guards cleared the way, allowing her to step out onto the platform. It overlooked the gardens where the wings of the castle met, bathed in the light of the moon.

There, Princess Zelda met her gaze from the railing, a gentle smile on her lips. She looked almost otherworldly in the light.

"Hey, uh _…_ Your Highness," Ashei frowned. "Am I _…_ supposed to be here?"

"Lady Ashei. Yes, you are just the person I needed to see."

"Actually, it's just Ashei," she corrected. "I'm not really a Lady or whatever fancy title gets thrown onto people for doing their job around here." The clink of nearby armour alerted her to stiffened posture of the guards, their hands reaching for their weapons and shields.

"That will be all," Zelda called out to them sternly. "Please, leave us be." Reluctantly, they withdrew out of sight. Although the warrior knew better than to assume that they were no longer there. "I hope you will accept my apologies for the way this meeting was organised. My guards are not exactly known for their subtlety. All I wanted was a moment of your time."

" _…_ Is this about the knives? I only did that cause I didn't feel safe coming here unarmed uh, Your _Highness."_

"You have permission to dispense with formalities if that would make this easier on you," she offered. "And I understand that you must be a busy woman so I shall endeavour to keep this short. I know just who you are, Ashei of the Resistance."

A flicker of nervousness stirred in her eyes but she quickly reeled it in, opting for humour instead. "Should hope so. You gave me this thing, remember?" The warrior held up one of the medals her group had been presented with not too long ago, wrapping it loosely around her wrist. With some relief she noticed that Zelda was still smiling back at her.

"I meant to say that you are the daughter of Askol. The former Captain of the Iron Shields. Am I correct?"

Ashei froze in response, unused to hearing that name beyond the tavern circles. Even at home, nobody called him that. He was simply 'father.' Especially so with her mother gone _…_ leaving him with but a single daughter to carry his skills. A single daughter to carry his legacy into the world. She wondered faintly whether the circumstances of his exoneration were about to come up.

" _…_ Yeah," Ashei said at last. "I am."

Zelda paused before continuing, sensing her apprehension. "I have seen your selfless efforts regarding the Twilight crisis and I would not have them go unrewarded. Therefore, if you are in need of an on-going contract _,_ I would like to offer you a place in the Royal Guard."

Ashei frowned as the words sank in. And stopped herself from commenting on the fact that nearly all of the people who held that position beforehand were now dead. "Not trying to be rude but _…_ I don't know if this whole place is for me."

"Is this perhaps due to some past disagreement?"

"No. I don't inherit grudges."

"Then why would that be the case?"

She found it difficult to argue with someone facing her head-on, entirely unperturbed by the roughness in her manner and speech. Zelda's eyes met her own, cool and neutral in their assessment, though she leaned forward with her hands clasped together. Ashei had to admire her attentiveness. She was a great listener. But if they were to stand _any_ chance of working together then she would need to clear the air.

"I mean, just _…_ take a look around!" the warrior snapped. "You've got people who haven't been seen in months suddenly dropping in, clamouring over each other to rub shoulders with you. Money being thrown around for a ball when places like Kakariko are falling apart. The Zoras lost their Queen cause we were unequipped to send them aid. And your guard is _full_ of men who behave worse than _animals…"_ For her own sake, she decided to omit the part where they had so obviously looked up her dress this evening.

"Go on," Zelda said, her expression unreadable.

As strange as her request was, Ashei obliged. "Alright, I've got more. You wanna know who reopened the roads while they were out there, drinking themselves stupid every night? Link. Oh, and one of your snotty nobles punched my friend in the face for trying to calm the riots. I've done my part but this whole town is a fucking mess. And I can't sit around pretending everything is great again because it's _not._ Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear _…_ but it's the truth."

The Princess met her complaints with a solemn nod, followed by another smile, one that finally reached her eyes. Her words were almost familiar. Enough so, that she half-expected Midna to appear and scold her for ditching her own party. Ashei, who was finally out of words, could do nothing but stare back at Zelda in stunned silence.

What was that smile? Why in the Goddesses would she be _happy_ to receive that sort of criticism on the night of their celebration? The warrior faintly wondered whether she might end up in one of the dungeons, after all.

"The position I am offering is Knight-Captain," Zelda proposed. "It means that you will have the power to enact some of the changes you would like to see around here. Hyrule is on the brink of a new age. A time beyond our civil war and our crimes against the Twilight Kingdom. I will need the right people to help repair our mistakes. Given the choice, I am interested in seeing what you do next."

"Wait, hold up _…_ " the warrior buckled. "You'd really just _…_ _give_ me a high-ranking position like that? After I let you have it?"

"There is no pressure for you to decide right away. This is after all, quite a departure from your work with the Resistance."

The warrior bit down on her lip and then looked out to the garden. She tried to tell herself that this feeling was only vertigo from the balcony, having climbed more than enough of them in her lifetime, but she knew that to be a lie. " _…_ But I talk like one of your stable-hands, yeah?" she hesitated. "I never learned how to curtsey or dance or even address _you_ properly until _…_ recently. It'd take extra work. Lots of it. I'm not a good fit."

The Princess stifled a laugh before she continued. "I could list all of the attributes that already make you perfect for the position. You are skilled, honest and independent of others. You share the qualities of a leader and you're not afraid of making things right with your own hands. Or speaking in plain terms. A rarity to my ears, if I may return the favour."

" _…_ Nayru, you're serious," Ashei exhaled. She had plans to corner a certain hero with loose lips about this later. "You're _…_ sure you want _me?_ And not Link or Rusl, or literally any other person with a sword in Hyrule?"

"Absolutely."

And then, the unexpected happened. There was the sound of metal against metal, drawn from a slip in Zelda's billowing white gown. It was Ashei's only warning for the sword that suddenly gleamed in their midst. She then held it out with both hands, offering it to her guest without a flicker of fear.

"I would also be willing to duel you for the position. If you might find that more persuasive."

"Oh, now we're talking."

Ashei looked over the ethereal woman with some mixture of awe and amusement. She was not the dainty gentlewoman that the nobles tried to emulate. She was a warrior, tasked with the protection of everybody in their realm. So few were willing to get their hands dirty that the Resistance had been formed out of necessity. If only people more had actually followed Zelda's example before the time she went missing.

"You're really not what you seem, yeah?" she replied, as her mouth curved up into a smile.

"And how do I seem to you?"

"A bit stuffy and sheltered. Intelligent but _…_ ignorant. Like _…_ someone." Ashei stopped short, reminding herself that this was not some everyday banter with Shad. "But I'll tell you what, nobody's ever tried to fight me to secure a job before. You're brave. And worthy of following. You showed that when you fought alongside Link. So _…_ put it away. I'll give it some thought and you'll have your answer by the end of the night."

Zelda sheathed the sword once more, her tone resolute. "I am most pleased to hear it."

The warrior merely blinked before the two Sheikah guards came back into her peripheral vision, frighteningly close for how fast they had moved. The Princess waved them away, that glimpse of warmth returning once more to her face. "Allow me to escort you out, Ashei. My guests have waited long enough and I would prefer their rumours of you to be favourable."

* * *

"Right. So, where is this Shad fellow?"

The intimidating figure of the Ordon mayor darkened the gallery, towering over many of the nobles who craned their heads to stare at the hero. Arriving late had already soured his mood, no thanks to the congestion in the streets. It had been quite some time since he'd travelled to Hyrule's capital and it had only grown busier in his absence.

"Don't use that tone on him, Bo!" Rusl laughed. "He's just taking a moment to sit down. Our last battle was rather rough on the young man."

"He's around Link's age, isn't he?" Uli enquired as her husband nodded. "It's difficult to tell with the way he presents himself. We have scarcely anyone his age at home, Ilia and Fado were the only ones."

"That's a shame! You know, it sometimes gets real busy at the bar but that's never been a problem with Shad around," Telma added with a wink. It was her first time meeting the man who's daughter she had taken in and she was determined to see it go well. For all of them. "He was my right-hand before Ilia honey came along! I know how to pick 'em for their moral character."

Link frowned as he scanned the crowd for him and his best friend, anxious in his tone. "Um _…_ I swear he'll be back soon, though."

His heart fluttered as he saw a crown of flowers weaving across the floor in tow with a head of russet hair. He heard a deep and familiar voice uttering 'excuse me,' and 'apologies, my lady' as the guests made way. When Ilia finally emerged from the crowd, she pulled Shad to the front of the group.

"There you are!" Link laughed before he came in close, wrapping an arm around the scholar's shoulders and speaking into his ear.

 _"… Seriously, what the hell's going on? Did you know they took Ashei?"  
_  
 _"Sorry to keep you waiting, old boy,"_ Shad whispered back. _"There has been quite the, uh… mess up… backstage-"_

"Okay!" Ilia said impatiently, twisting them both around. She smiled at her father to grab his attention. "Thanks for waiting, Dad. We'd like you to meet someone special."

"Oh, u-um _…_ right!" Link fumbled. "So _…_ this is Bo, the mayor of my hometown. He helped me out a great deal. Gave me a place to live and everything. I wouldn't be where I am without him _…_ and I uh, respect him a lot."

"Don't be so serious, you're worrying him!"

"S-Sorry. And uh, this is Shad. We _…_ um _…_ "

The swordsman tangled his fingers with the blushing scholar, feeling his pulse racing out of his fingertips. Shad immediately noticed how sweaty Link's hands had gotten again, not that he particularly minded, and he gripped back to calm his nerves. When the younger man looked to him for reassurance, he smiled back in return _…_ his gaze unwavering.

"We're together," Link finished.

" _…_ Right. I see."

Shad glanced up at the enormous man and did his best to hold his ground, finding it hard to believe that this was _indeed_ Ilia's father. He wore some kind of traditional robe in dark blue and green, wrapped with leathers and furs. A white and gold emblem featuring Ordonian goat horns sat proudly on his shoulders. Against the brightness of their surroundings, he cut a most imposing figure. It didn't help that his frown-lines were almost as deep as a chasm.

"He's a _scholar,_ Dad," Ilia added quickly. "Shad's spent his entire life researching a race of ancient beings who live in the sky. And with Link's help, he's found all the evidence he needs to publish his final papers. Pretty interesting, huh?"

"A man of books, huh?" Bo huffed. " _…_ I have to say, I still don't understand how all of you met. First of all, you were taken in by Telma when you came to the city for help. This Shad fellow happened to be at the bar. He _…_ helped you to deal with everything that happened and then _…_ Link joined your group? The same group of fighters Rusl happened to be in contact with?"

"That's the gist of it," Link nodded. "I followed Ilia's scen- _tracks_ all the way here. It took weeks of searching Hyrule. And then when I finally found her, she was caring for someone else _…_ Prince Ralis. He'd gotten really sick during the war."

"You should have seen them dancing together!" Telma swooned.

"To get the Prince help, Link then took us to Kakariko _…_ " Ilia added with a stern look, warning the others off contradicting her story. _"Totally_ safe but we thought we could use the extra security. With luck, everything went to plan! Colin, Malo, Talo and Beth were handling everything well. So then I decided come back to the city and work for Telma. It was _…_ one the most wonderful experiences of my life. I really enjoyed the time we spent living together."

"Well honey, you're the best employee I've ever had," Telma beamed.

"I'll miss you so much, when I'm gone."

Bo looked at the two women as they hugged each other, quietly holding his sadness. All these years, Ilia had raised and supported the village children as though they were her own. Yet, she had scarcely known the love of her own mother.

"Once we had Ilia settled at the bar, you can bet Link was stopping by _all_ of the time to check on her!" Telma added. "And having him in the Resistance turned out to be an amazing stroke of luck. He was _just_ the man we were looking for!"

"And I wasn't?" Rusl joked before Uli pinched his side. "Forgive me. His skills are well beyond my instruction and he's managed it all by himself." Link smiled back at his mentor.

"High praise. But not undeserved." Bo then turned to face Shad once again, his voice and manner gruff. "Now, how are you involved in all of this?"

The scholar felt a jolt of panic coursing through him as he tripped over his words. "I _…_ uh _…_ w-well _…_ you may have deduced that I cannot wield a sword but my research happened to be pointing us in the right direction, toward-"

"I meant with my daughter and Link."

Ilia's eyes darkened immediately. _"Dad!"_ **  
**  
"Oh, ahaha! Y-You see-"

"It was Ilia who brought us together," Link said firmly, squeezing his hand. "Shad was there for her everyday. He cheered her up when she was sad and read to her when she had nightmares. Helped her write letters to you. Listened to her feelings when I wouldn't, sometimes. He's a good person and I'll never be able to thank him properly for what he did."

Bo's manner seemed to relax at the hero's words, though that hadn't encouraged Shad to stop holding his breath.

"After working with him a bit, I started to realise that the feelings I had weren't just _…_ _recognition_ or wanting to give him thanks. I really liked him. I admired what he did and I _…_ I'd never met anyone so kind, and devoted and smart."

"Link-"

"I love Shad! And he's the reason I'm staying. Hyrule also needs me _…_ and I'm gonna keep fighting for it when the time comes."

A shocked silence struck the group, each expression varying wildly to the other. Rusl's eyes widened with surprise and then approval. All he'd ever wanted was a new path for his apprentice to tread. Uli gasped and brought a hand to her mouth, quiet with excitement. Telma broke into a grin before she ruffled Shad's hair. Ilia reached out and pulled Link into a side-hug, tears in her eyes. All the while, Bo stared back at them, his composure shattered.

"You're _…_ _staying here?"_

"I'll be coming home for a little while. And I'll visit whenever I can after that. But yes." Link nodded, once. "I wanna live here."

" _…_ The Hylian city. Y-Yes _…_ I _…_ see."

The older man's frown lines deepened but his eyes told another story, one of sadness and regret. Link had arrived on the doorstep of their village around the same time he'd lost Ilia's mother. Helping to care for this new boy had woken him out of his grief. Pushed him to keep on going, with his young daughter also in tow. But boys did not stay young forever. And the world beyond was full of beauty and danger.

"I must say, the _three_ of them have been rather inseparable. Quite a sight to behold in these difficult times," Rusl hinted politely. "Although, I should mention that there is a fourth. A firebrand, that one."

"That's Ashei," Ilia smiled. "She likes to beat people up at the bar who act _…_ rowdy. You'd really like her, Dad."

"I would've thought so too!"

 _'Oh no! We need to find her.'  
_  
Link nodded in response to the concerned look in Shad's eyes, eyebrows arching down. The uncharacteristic manner in which he'd fled the dance and looked a mess upon arrival had roused his fears for their missing friend.

"Hmm _…_ " Bo sighed. The moment of vulnerability passed and he picked himself up again, addressing them in a confident manner. "Telma, I want to thank you for all that you've done. If there is anything our township can do to repay you, we will gladly undertake it. Perhaps you are in need of some supplies for your business?"

"You don't need to pay me anything! Just make sure this one doesn't forget about me, alright honey? Swing by whenever you're in town. I'll have a spot ready for you at the bar."

"I'll never forget," Ilia promised. She gave a slight bow to signify the end of her service.

"And you," the mayor said suddenly, turning to face the scholar. Shad stood upright, giving him his full attention. "I want you to know that _…_ this is a very special young man. While he might not show it, he has suffered many hardships in his life. Our village will be missing him fiercely _…_ so look after him as though your life depends on it-"

"Stop that!"

"Give him the family he deserves," he amended. "That's all I ask."

Ilia hugged her father's arm in solidarity, holding back her tears. "What Dad means is, 'Good luck with your new life together.' And congratulations! I'm so happy. For both of you."

* * *

The guests had flooded the dance floor during their talk, leaving very little room for the three to conduct their search. Apparently the Princess was back and she was taking on dance partners, although the sight of her was blocked entirely by a wall of feathers, wigs and hats. Link felt a pang of sympathy for Zelda having to entertain such ravenous guests but for now it meant that the hungry eyes of the court were no longer upon him. For that, he was thankful.

"Alright, now _where_ did they take her? Goddesses, they didn't use their hands, did they?" Shad had asked, mostly for their sake.

"They went to the back of the room and then I'd guess through that door?" Ilia pointed. "They spoke for a while but then they disappeared."

"Could we perhaps, erm _…_ sneak through it then? I daresay we couldn't have asked for a better distraction."

A group of men suddenly rushed past the group, edging their way to the front as much as they could without scuffing their fine clothing.

" _…_ We don't wanna make any trouble for Zelda," Link advised. "Let's try splitting up first. Meet you all under this chandelier in ten minutes?"

He and Ilia then split away, the hero ducking towards the back of the room while she took to the thick of the crowd. Shad stood still for a moment longer, wondering if he had perhaps harmed things more than he'd helped. The bright jewel tones of the fabrics and the clinking of glasses around him fell away as he began to reflect upon where things stood.

According to Ilia, Ashei had been hiding her worries. And so, it may have been grossly presumptuous to assume that she'd even _wanted_ to stay _…_ a difficult choice that was reinforced every time he smiled through his pain and hid his shortness of breath. Perhaps this was why he had let it spiral to this stage. Deep down, he feared that possibility of a clean break. But he failed to detect the heels that soon crept up behind him _…_ as sharp as they were against the tile.

"Hey."

"ACK!"

Shad whirled around to catch that familiar voice, frightened out of his wits. And there, he saw her. A wry smile on her painted lips. It seemed ridiculous that they'd passed the warrior by in such close proximity, as striking as she was. "There you are!" he gasped. "Were you _…_ _watching_ us the entire time? Goddesses Ashei, we'd begun to fear the worst!"

"Oh? And why would you think that?"

"Because you were _missing!_ For quite some time!" he accosted, unable to get a grip on his anger. "You had Ilia nearly in tears with worry. And Link had to struggle alone while we went out looking for-"

Ashei cut him off with a smirk. "Now hang on, why would you be looking for me? Didn't you disappear before all that happened?"

"W-Well _…_ yes _…_ b-but first I needed to-"

"Save it."

And then she reached out, jabbing her fingers against his midsection. At first Shad had no idea what the warrior was doing and he blushed furiously, unable to stop her. But then, when she smacked at his pockets, the reason for her assault had become clear. Her dark eyes glinted back at him with satisfaction.

"A-Ash _…_ uh _…_ _what are you-"_

"I knew it," Ashei scoffed. "You returned that Sky book, didn't you?"

"Shhhhh!" the scholar hissed.

He ducked, as though to shield himself from the eyes and ears of any who might have overheard them. "Alright, let's not be tactless. You caught me. But please, you must keep it quiet _…_ and afford me the chance to explain it to the others! They're already furious that I disappeared for so long. The rest of this night needs to go incident-free!"

"I'm not here to trip you up," she said with a raised eyebrow. "Just wanted to say that you're a hypocrite for having a go at me, when you go and pull stunts like _this."_

"Yes, yes. You win and I'm an irredeemable scoundrel!" Shad sighed dramatically. "Now, shall we go and find the others and put this whole debacle to rest?"

But then, the warrior's expression softened. All traces of levity in her demeanour were gone. " _…_ Actually, I waited for them to leave so that we could talk. Come to the bar. We'll be about ten minutes _…_ yeah?"

"O-Oh. Yes, of course."

Shad hesitated before he followed. Their exchanges had been so heavy lately, he had no idea what he might be in for. He also hadn't forgotten all of the times he'd struggled to initiate an honest discussion about the future, only to be brushed aside. However, this time there was something new in Ashei's manner. Upon noticing it, he hurried forward and then never left her side.

When the server saw their medals, he attended to the pair in a visibly frazzled state. In two seconds flat, they had their drinks and then settled onto one of the nearby lounges. Ashei stared ahead at the crowd while Shad studied her with a frown, the clock ticking.

"I've had a proposal," she said, suddenly.

"A _…_ _w-what?"_ He choked.

"A proposal for work."

"Ah. Yes!" he laughed before clearing his throat. "I mean, uh _…_ do continue. I'm listening."

"Big opportunity, I guess," the warrior sighed, crossing her leg and then straightening out her dress. "But I'm undecided on whether I want it. Or really, whether I'm right for it. I'd be in charge of something that's almost beyond saving. Oh, and I'd have to learn more manners. At least while I'm fronting the job, employer doesn't care how I talk in private."

"Interesting," Shad nodded. "And would that mean you staying in town?"

Ashei nodded back, a grim smile returning to her face. "Yeah. It's stupid, isn't it? This is the place my father wanted to get away from and I'd just be moving right back in. Gonna be _real_ proud of that one. Just wrote to him about the war ending, too."

"Oh, Ash _…_ I had no idea that this town held such history for you," he said, face falling.

"It doesn't really," she shrugged. "I never lived here before. But it does make me wonder if I'm making the right choice. This is my chance to do something new! There's still plenty of places in the world for me to travel and I'm sure this place could use Link instead of-"

"W-Wait, no! Stop right there!" Shad protested, nearly spilling his drink in the outburst. She glared back at him with mild concern. _"You_ would be excellent at _…_ whatever this job is! You saved my life a dozen times over in that battle and then you just kept on going! Don't you think you are being too hard on yourself? Unless that is perhaps _…_ not the real reason you are hesitant to stay." He could feel the heat rising to his face as the words poured out. Panic had made him clumsy.

" _…_ It was you," she said slowly. His heart nearly failed before she finished the sentence. "You spoke to Zelda. Didn't you?" And then Shad shrank back into his seat, averting his gaze.

"Goddesses Shad, are we gonna go around in circles like this forever?!" Ashei snapped. The urge to throw her drink over him was real but she refused to indulge the people around them.

"It was not my place to interfere," the scholar sighed. "I know this. And perhaps _…_ I should have left you alone instead of complicating matters further. For that, I want to apologise."

She downed her drink so that she wouldn't feel tempted to throw it again. And then, there was a lengthy pause in which the warrior nearly laughed. They had come so close to reaching an understanding but new circumstances had nearly torn it out of their hands. The only way out was to show her hand.

" _…_ Maybe there's more to it," Ashei finally conceded. "You know that I _…_ like and respect you. Feeling's mutual, you don't have to say anything. But I refuse to be afraid of that anymore. All I ever wanted was to see you happy and successful. That's why I promised Zelda a signed collection of your works along with your latest publication, whenever it comes out. Wanted to make up for when I got you shot in the chest and nearly _ruined_ your future. You and Link would be set for life. Nice thought, huh? And we could be even."

"Wait a moment," Shad sat up, his heart hammering into his ears. "Y-You promised WHAT to the princess?!"

"You heard me. Zelda wants your books."

The scholar's hands flew to his forehead. She had finally done it now.

"B-But _…_ BUT MY PRIOR WORK IS RIDDLED WITH INACCURACIES!" he moaned. "Link never studied the Oocca but he knows _infinitely_ more about them than the Shad who published those books! They scarcely even covered my rent! Oh but we cannot rescind the offer now! Goddesses Ashei, how could you DO this to me?!"

The warrior merely rolled her eyes. His shouting had thrown them well beyond the realm of privacy at this point.

"Ugh, you'll thank me later."

But then, a pompous gentleman who overheard the commotion suddenly stopped before them. There was something familiar about him that Ashei was unable to place, though he looked just like any of the other elaborately dressed nobles scattered about the floor. In the end, it was Shad's reaction that gave him away. The scholar flinched at first _…_ but then he gritted his teeth and stood tall. Remembering the sting that flickered against his nose.

"If it isn't the little upstart and his guard dog. You'll be sending your fables to the Princess Zelda, will you?" the noble sneered. "You and that savage woman might have her fooled. But mark my words, your time in the spotlight will be over just as quickly as it came."

Ashei then rose to her feet, towering over him with a murderous glint in her eyes. "You don't talk to Shad or _any_ of us like that again."

"A-And who are you to stop me?"

"Stick around and maybe you'll find out," she growled, cracking her knuckles. The stand-off was more than enough to frighten the man away. He wove his way back into the crowd, all the while clicking his tongue about the wild state of the court.

"The nerve _…_ " Shad exhaled. His head was spinning from the aversion of yet another crisis. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes. I was furious with you because you put my life's work at the mercy of the Princess."

"And you didn't do the same to me?" the warrior sniffed right back. "That said _,_ I think I've just made up my mind. Somebody needs to fix this place. I'm sick of these snotty nobles and incompetent guards. Everyone else jousting back into position after all our hard work. And it'd be hypocritical for me to complain without getting my hands dirty."

There was a slight pause before she faced him again, directly. "So _…_ how 'bout it then? If I accept this position, will you _…_ shut up and accept yours? Road won't be easy for either of us but we've handled worse."

He blinked back at her, his waves of anger and anxiety dissipating to the soft sounds of the orchestra. Purpose and challenge. This was what she'd been looking for. And she had come to the conclusion all on her own. He smiled, at last.

"Let's shake on it," Ashei demanded. "No rest for the wicked, huh?"

"You don't know how glad I am to hear it _…_ " he murmured, ignoring her extended hand and pulling her into a proper hug. "You're going to be excellent at this. The best person to put things right." She gripped him back and then patted his shoulder awkwardly, hoping nobody would notice.

"A-Alright, Shad. We're done now, yeah?"

"I don't know. Are we?"

A new set of arms joined them, causing them both to freeze. When Ashei's eyes met Link's, she immediately shoved him and the scholar away with a frightened sound. Shad had barely caught himself on the lounge while the swordsman grinned at both of them.

"I-It's - it's not _,_ _uh-"_

"I just got a new job and _we were meant to shake hands, ugh-"_

"Hey, don't stop on my account," Link teased. "Rude not to invite me, though."

"Oh, I'm so glad you're safe!" Ilia exclaimed over the top of them, swooping in to grab one of Ashei's arms. "They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

"The guards?" she blinked. "Uh, no. Turns out I might be their boss soon. How are you coping?"

" _…_ Link, I must apologise once more," Shad frowned, looking positively crestfallen as he turned his attention to his love. He took a deep bow, refusing to deny him the same respect he'd shown to Zelda. "I've been trying to stop this entire evening from spiralling out of control and _…_ oh gods, my only fear now is that I might have ruined things with your family back home-"

"Nah, you got off lightly," Link laughed, pulling him back up to standing height and then planting a kiss on his forehead. "I mean, if you were dating Ilia that'd be a whole other story. But you were strong for me when I told them what was up. So _…_ thanks, Shad. I'll be able to figure things out when we get back to Ordon."

" _…_ I wanna hear this story later," Ashei interjected.

"If we _must,"_ the scholar exhaled. "Although for now we ought to celebrate, yes? It might be our last night before our lives are forever changed. Oh, and Ilia, my dear _…_ you still owe me a proper dance."

"You're the one who ran away," she quipped back.

* * *

The glittering lights held through the hours as evening struck midnight. While the castle was still busy with guests, the intensity had died down with only a handful of slow-dancers upon the ballroom floor. Business deals were being closed along its fringes. Link and Shad had shared some of the closing hours with Zelda, intent on raising her spirits in Midna's absence. Rusl bid goodbye to the others as he escorted Uli back to their headquarters. Auru and Telma had vanished some time ago, with nobody holding concerns for their welfare. And Prince Ralis introduced Ashei to one of the Zora guards at his side, giving him leave to discuss the complexities of the job.

Slowly, the rest of the hall began to empty.

"We'll be home soon, Dad. Just a couple more days," Ilia promised, before he kneeled down to give her one final hug. "I love you."

" _…_ I can't figure it out yet but _…_ there's something different about you," he said, as quietly as his voice could permit. "Nothing will make what happened to our village any less horrible. But _…_ I couldn't ask for a braver daughter. It's good to see you happy here. I love you, too."

Their farewell was interrupted as a figure ghosted into appearance from the background, her white dress glinting like the morning dew. "The Princess!" Ilia blinked. With a gasp, Bo stood to his feet and then gave a proper bow. She followed suit with one of the curtsies Shad had taught her.

"Greetings," Zelda welcomed. "Mayor Bo of the Ordona Province? I apologise for the delay. It is an honour to finally meet with you this evening."

"Th-The honour is all mine, Your Highness!"

Ilia smiled back at her as she held onto her father's hand, hoping to ease some of their nervousness.

"Your homelands are situated in the heart of the Faron Woods, are they not?" the Princess remarked. "An agricultural basin famous for its pumpkins and goats cheese. I should know, although it has been quite some time since I have been able to try them."

"Y-Yes! Yes, that would be us!"

"It sounds like Hyrule could use more of those goods after the village raids," Ilia hinted with one of Telma's trademark winks.

"Indeed," Zelda nodded. "I have always viewed relations with your Province as a missed opportunity. Especially so, knowing that it was you who raised our hero. I am hoping to rectify this with the rejuvenation of our trade agreement."

The Ordonian Mayor seemed to be frozen on the spot, his head reeling from the opportunity that was being extended in front of him.

"Might you have an ambassador I could confer with to solidify the agreement?"

"I'll do it!"

Bo looked down in surprise as his daughter raised her hand, volunteering the position. With some shame he realised that he was utterly polarised before the Hylian monarch, unable to form more than a couple of words at a time. "I know everything there is to know about our village trade. And I'm _just_ as familiar with Hyrule's demands. Your country lost a lot of its farmland in the war! I noticed it when I was _…_ travelling. Saw the outcome when I worked in a local business."

Zelda was taken by her enthusiasm. "If that is agreeable to you, Mayor?"

"Uh, of course!" he stammered. "Y-Yes! Ilia here is _…_ well _…_ you've met her. She's a brilliant lass. Ah, Your Highness."

"Excellent," she nodded. "I look forward to working with you, Lady Ilia. We shall begin our negotiations over the winter."

* * *

With the ball at an end, the castle was now the quietest place in town. Occasional shouting pierced the air, followed by bouts of laughter and running footsteps in the narrow gaps between the buildings. Fireworks had filled the sky not long before and chased Louise out of Ilia's lap, off of the roof the tavern. Being kicked by a monster had done nothing to lessen her reflexes. All the while, Link was nestled into the gap between her and Shad, his head sitting comfortably against the scholar's shoulder. Ashei was perched on Shad's right, passing a bottle between them.

The night wore upon them in varying ways. Ilia had hiked her evening dress above her knees, her crown now with more leaves than flowers. Link had removed his hat and let his yellow hair hang freely around his shoulders. His eyes were tired but a smile never left his lips. Shad's hair was nearly as messy as it was when they'd visited the City in the Sky and half of the buttons on his waistcoat were now undone. Only Ashei had managed to retain her hairstyle, though her lipstick had worn off from the drink.

Eventually, the two men stirred. Whispers were shared before Shad gave an exaggerated yawn.

"Off to bed, then?" the warrior spoke into his ear.

Shad blushed a furious shade of red at the suggestiveness of her tone. "A minimum of eight hours is required for optimal health!"

"Hah! Like you ever cared about that, Mr Night-Owl."

Link smiled back at the others after giving Ilia a quick squeeze with his arm. " _…_ It really is getting late, though. Goodnight, everyone. And thanks _…_ for getting me through the night. Couldn't have handled it with a better bunch of people."

"You did well," Ilia said after squeezing back in return. "And I'm so proud of you. See you both tomorrow."

With a final farewell, Link began climbing down to the windowsill. He held Shad's hand the entire way, who had far more trouble finding his footsteps. A shout echoed from the room below when he caught the scholar in his arms. This was followed by the sound of curtains shutting.

"Figures _…_ " Ashei smirked, now turning her attention to Ilia. "What are you planning next, farm girl? You're set on going back home, yeah?"

"I am. And I plan on running for mayor, eventually," Ilia revealed. "Although, that won't be for a while yet. So I thought maybe I could use my _unique_ position to mend relations with Hyrule, first. It'll be good experience for when the day comes."

"I knew you couldn't sit still."

"And you?"

" _…_ Yeah. I'm gonna stay. Make things right where they need fixing," Ashei admitted. "Maybe I'll be seeing you around." She tightened her grip around the bottle before giving it a shake.

"Want some?"

"Oh, I never told anybody this but I don't like alcohol at all," Ilia giggled. "Isn't it funny? I've worked in a bar all this time and I've got everyone's orders down. But ugh, I can't stand the stuff. Link isn't missing out on anything in my opinion."

Ashei threw her head back and laughed. And then, without another word, they settled in to wait for the dawn.

* * *

" _…_ You can stop apologising about the evening," Link smiled. He removed his shirt before climbing into the study bed, remembering the first night he had spent here instead of the cold, hard ground. The fancy coat and pants he'd worn to the ball were now hanging over a nearby chair. _"If_ you tell me more about your surprise meeting with Zelda. How was it? Not as scary as she looks, is she?"

"I don't know about that," the scholar chuckled, now slipping into one of his loose nightshirts. "I believe I made quite the fool of myself. However, it was a rather _…_ pleasant experience. If a little peculiar. She spoke to me as though we'd already met. As though we were familiar. We figured out that she recognised me from my trips to the castle as a child but even so _…_ "

Link cringed a little in response. "Oh, right. That'll be 'cause of Midna."

Shad found himself unable to hide his concern and sat next to his partner on the bed, placing a hand on his shoulder. It had been some time since that name had come up and the swordsman had always seemed apprehensive of the topic. "Ah, I _…_ guessed that you might have spoken to Zelda of me, instead."

"I did," Link admitted. "But no, this was different. Zelda and Midna had some sort of accident at the top of the tower where they shared their _…_ memories? I don't really understand it. It only happened because they tried to save each other. But after that, they were _…_ connected," he trailed off, now looking to one of the walls of books. "Sorry. This is hard. I can't stop thinking about how she's doing."

"No, no. I completely understand," Shad said softly, pulling him into an embrace. "I'm sorry, Link."

There was a moment of quiet before he continued. " _…_ Anyway, it's safe to say that Zelda knows everything that happened on my journey," he continued after shaky sigh. "Midna was with us from the moment I walked in here. You know, I still feel _…_ really bad about that. She stayed hidden most of the time but everyone's privacy was at stake because of me. She knew all of you but none of you had any idea she even existed."

The scholar frowned as he brushed Link's hair out of his eyes. "I can't imagine that such an arrangement could have been easy on you."

"There were tonnes of awkward moments," he sniffed, unable to stop himself from smiling. "Um _…_ like when you kept hearing her talk out loud, thinking it was me. You actually scared her! And I fought a giant eel monster at the bottom of Lake Hylia."

"Oh, dear."

"For the most part though, Midna was _…_ uh _…_ respectful. Maybe not with words but she disappeared whenever I needed to do stuff like wash up. Sometimes reminded me when I was overdue."

Now it was Shad's turn to smile. "Are you certain that wasn't just an excuse to look at you?"

"W-Well, there's no guarantee she _wasn't_ there," Link admitted with a laugh. "But if she saw anything, then she never acted differently for it. Um _…_ it was difficult too _…_ getting closer to everyone." He then leaned forward, kissing Shad on the cheek before his lips lingered in the same spot. They brushed against him as he spoke, far more quietly this time. "I wanted to do things that I knew I shouldn't with her there. Sometimes it was weird."

"O-Oh really?"

And then he sank back into the pillow, deciding to be merciful as the waves of heat rolled off from the scholar's face. "Yeah. Like that night on the mountain, I had Ashei threatening me in one ear and Midna in the other telling me to put my arm around her."

"A very dangerous game," Shad laughed after taking a _very_ deep breath.

"Oh yeah. And another time, Midna took on Ilia's disguise. She started hanging off my shoulder and screaming just to get under my skin. That one was less funny, I nearly ended our partnership _…_ prematurely."

With a wry laugh, the scholar then joined him in bed. Link shuffled himself over as best as he could. Though there wasn't a great deal of room on the mattress in here, it was comfortable enough for the two of them _…_ and the younger man enjoyed wrapping himself up in the other's arms. The lanterns burned low, providing just enough illumination for them to see each other's faces.

"By the time we started to get close, I was so _…_ frustrated. The mission had to come first but I just _…_ wanted your company. I wanted love. And I wanted it without hurting anyone. I was always scared of that possibility, after some of the stuff that happened. I feel like I put all of you in unnecessary danger."

"Well, you didn't hurt me," Shad said unwaveringly. "And we do love you, Link. I mean that for all of us."

" _…_ I'm glad you still feel that way," Link smiled back. His eyes were the colour of dusk against the dying embers. They glinted back at Shad, whose own were deep blue like a starless night sky. "I guess I just needed to check in. This whole ceremony took everything that I did and threw it all back in my face."

"I do," he affirmed. "And nothing can change that now, old boy. I can trust in who you are, just as you can count on my support. As feeble as it might be."

"Anything but."

Shad could feel his next thought forming on the tip of his tongue, biting it back but then finding himself unable to fight it any longer. " _…_ If I may ask, are there perhaps some _…_ unresolved frustrations from your time with the Twilight Princess?" he ventured.

Too many nights had gone by when they were nestled together - restless at first, and unable to sleep - before finally waking up in a tangled mess. There were times when he sat there awake and the mere weight of the sheets against his body had been too much to bear. Though the younger man was quite a heavy sleeper, he could never bring himself to move.

"Y-Yeah _…_ " Link admitted nervously, biting onto his lip. "Everything's been so crazy since we saved Hyrule that we haven't been able to, _um…_ I didn't want to push you after the battle."

Shad's heart suddenly flew up into his chest, nearly clouding his vision for how eager he was. "Oh, thank the heavens. It isn't just me, then." He ran a hand along his partner's side, enjoying the tautness of his body and the etching of his scars against his skin. "Well, we have all the time we need until the sun comes up. How are you _…_ feeling now, old boy?"

" _…_ Good," Link agreed, taking the scholar's hand and then guiding it to his chest. His heart was thudding hard against his sternum.

Their lips met again, slowly at first before the encounter deepened. Teeth grazed against skin. Their breaths grew sharper and more desperate for air. Sheets fell onto the floor in a bundled heap. And then Shad straddled him, stopping only to remove his nightshirt. For the first time, he had scars of his own.

"Will you tell me what to do?" he breathed. "How I should _…_?"

"Touch me here. Please."

The room grew still as he guided the scholar's hand down his body, as anxious as it was.

"I know I've said this before but _…_ I've never um _…_ "

"I am certainly no expert," Shad chuckled, welcoming the moment to catch his breath. He kneaded Link softly with the palm of his hand. "However _…_ my understanding is that everybody is different. Some people require gentleness and care. Others require _…_ a little roughhousing. I would venture that someone like you would _…_ require a bit of _both,_ yes?"

"Both _…_ sounds good," Link blushed. He trembled under the new touch as his partner trailed kisses down his midsection, lips brushing against every flaw. "Y-You're always so _…_ careful around me, I never know how I should be touching you, either."

Shad immediately grabbed his hand and then tangled his fingers into his hair. When Link pulled, he sighed softly in response. "We can start here, my love," he said with a crooked smile. "Gently, first. So that I might know how to pay you back."


	29. Roads With No End

**AN:** This is it. This is the end!

Just a little announcement before we get started, I went back and revised this story before uploading the final chapter. Turns out, I had a lot of "happy accidents" along the way (like, A LOT) and I'm still in the process of smoothing things out! Hopefully this will make it easier for anybody reading in the future.

Anyway, what I really wanted to say was A HUGE THANK YOU to everybody who made it through! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 29 - Roads With No End**

The journey back to Hyrule had eaten into his boots worse than ever before. The southern exit was busy as usual, though Epona was now far more practiced at dodging people in close quarters. The odd citizen stopped and stared as he passed through. A child tugged at the hem of their mother's skirt, a group of teenagers froze and returned his wave in stunned silence. After weeks of solitude it was a welcome sight, a familiar sight that signalled he was finally home.

Entering Hyrule Castle felt like coming into a city of its own. Knights thundered down the halls just as servants swept up behind them. The gardens were ever-changing, flourishing in the autumn, its caretakers pausing as they took note of their honoured guest. A memorial stood where the road met the grounds, a great wolf of stone that wielded a sword in its mouth, earning him a title beyond the word 'hero.' He smiled to think that person who might have enjoyed it most would never see it.

He left the audience chamber with a slow exhale, stopping in his tracks for the first time that day. The wait was over and he knew where he ought to begin again. He turned to take the next right, stopping as his eyes connected with another in waiting. Warmth touched his face. Hers were darker, hidden, like snuffed embers. "Link," she said.

The years had changed him in some unforeseeable manner. His usual manner was softer, more reserved than ever before when he was not in close company. But his learned confidence shone through with every smile and every quick gesture of his body. His fringe of golden hair was mostly gone, hidden within the long strands of hair that spilled over his shoulders and back whenever he untied his hair. The rest of his face had grown longer, sharper, framing those blue eyes that never changed.

"Welcome back."

"Did you miss m-"

Ashei rushed forward and lifted him up into a hug that nearly squeezed the air out of his lungs.

 _"Agh!_ _…_ That much, huh?" he grinned. "C'mon, it's just been over a month."

She too had shifted, radiating a keen optimism despite the shadows etched into her smirk. Her eyes commanding, softening only for a few. Her usual intricate armour had been upgraded to a shining silver breastplate, matched with winged gauntlets and leg guards, worn over a form-fitting uniform of dark red. The Royal Family crest was emblazoned handsomely upon her neck-guard and her raven-black hair was gathered into a braid that hung down the side.

Link squeezed her back before she lowered him down, mindful of his taller stature. "Still killing it in that uniform, though."

"Careful," Ashei warned before she ruffled his hair. "These are my on-duty hours. Can't take any disrespectful behaviour from anyone, not even the Hero of Light."

"You know I hate that title."

She made a derisive sound. "About as much as I enjoy being called 'Lady' at all those damned parties. I've stopped responding to it altogether. Taken them _ages_ to get the hint."

"Even if it's Zelda?"

"You know she doesn't do that," Ashei said, amused. "Knows it's better for me without the nonsense, yeah? Course, I still refer to her properly during work hours. So what about _you_ , yeah? How was life on the road this time around?"

A memory flashed before his eyes. Deku Babas slithering in the undergrowth, Lizalfos hacking their way through the vines. Hyrule's monsters had grown sparse since Ganondorf's demise with many crawling to the distant corners of the world. One night, he glimpsed a pack of Wolfos waiting for him in the dark. He'd led them away from Epona, torch swinging, snarling into the shadows to catch their attention, until they rushed past him to clash with the Stalhounds from a nearby grave. From that night on, he made sure never to camp near one again.

" _…_ Good," Link nodded, after a pause. " _…_ But I'm really glad to be back. This trip took way longer than expected."

"Enjoy the south?" Her eyes lit up as she broached the following question. "What was it like?"

"It wasn't bad," he smiled back. "You'd hate the weather though, it feels like summer everyday. And at first there was nothing but swamp and rainforest _…_ but I kept going until I hit the ocean. Turned out, there was a community thriving out there! People living off the water instead of cultivating the land. It really was different but I managed to pass on a thing or two before I left."

"Made yourself useful, then? Not your average tourist," she smirked, bumping him on the arm. "Good for you. I'd be lying if I said that dealing with some of the rubbish here hadn't made me wanna be out there, instead."

"That bad?" He smiled again, eyes searching. "Tell me everything. How's the castle been?"

They drifted out of the hall and followed the stairs as they fell into the world outside. The colours around them shifted, from the carpeted blue and marbled white of the castle to earthen red and wilted green.

"It's chaos. There's a lot of pressure from the town and we get big hats visiting all the time trying to win Zelda over. But at the end of the day, nobody's let into the guards without my approval. Smashed that nepotism right in the face. Now we're a force equipped to handle anything! We're turning this place around... Zelda included, I mean." Ashei's steps slowed as they encroached into the garden, her eyes breaking contact with his in their search.

"And how is she?" Link bit onto his lip.

She hesitated in response to his question. "Good. You know, after a while I _…_ began to understand why you were so worried. Zelda's a strong person _…_ but she holds her sadness like a blade. Things are better, though. Only strange thing I find now is that she _insists_ on going to sleep around sundown. And she's weirdly happy in the mornings. This is totally confidential by the way, you better not blab on me or I'll smack your ears off."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He smirked in a manner that was strangely reminiscent of Rusl. "Also, please tell me you didn't start _that_ working relationship by dissing her clothes."

The warrior grinned back at him, unflinching. "Never. She dresses too well for that."

"Ouch."

Her gaze grew still as she honed in on a basket. It was under a tree, just where Ilia had promised. She quietly hoped that the ants hadn't gotten into it. " _…_ So, hey. I've actually taken time off this afternoon. My post ended with your meeting."

"Oh! Did Shad tell you when I'd be back?" Link jumped. "I mean, I-I'm grateful, but if it's easier on you we could always catch up at Telma's instead? I won't be going anywhere for a long while-"

"Enough of that. You're staying right here," Ashei interrupted, unfolding her arms. "And you're going to help me with something, right now."

* * *

Shad snored soundly amid the chaos scattered around his desk. Course outlines. Research materials. Essays. All of which had only encroached further and further into his living space. However, not withstanding the precarious heights of the clutter, he'd known that the most dangerous thing of all were the books that never made it into publication.

The first trip that willed him into discretion happened to be his _final_ trip alongside those who called themselves the Resistance. He could easily recall the shimmering grove that surrounded the Temple of Time on the day they'd investigated it. Link happened to be volunteering at the ranch that day and so he hadn't been there to share his perspective on the ruins. The presence of its guardian statues, which gave off the same aura and static as the owl deities he'd studied all of those years ago, alerted him to the fact that there was far more to the Temple than the eye could uncover.

After hours of sketching and ruminating over the mystery, it was he who suggested that they leave. Auru and Rusl were well versed in their history, enough to rival the scholar on this particular matter, though the former seemed preoccupied with his report to Zelda and the latter found himself distracted by the sound of a child laughing in the woods. Ashei had climbed onto the highest archway, content to admire the scenery after hashing out a lengthy argument with him on Hylian religion. When it was time to leave, she gifted him some rare flowers to press within his notebook. All the while, the Rod of the Heavens lay dormant within his office.

Following that had been a long-awaited trip into the mountains. Link insisted that Snowpeak had become far safer in the aftermath of the war, though that didn't stop Ashei from glaring at every set of wolf tracks in the snow and staying up late. As the slopes grew more desolate and the nights grew colder, their ability to make a decent fire and survive on blankets alone had also suffered. The end result was the three of them huddling together for warmth. If the threat of death had been enough to silence Link for weeks on the last occasion, then this time it were such that _nobody_ could breathe a word of it for the rest of their lives. Even if the liquor soothed the edges and they woke up blushing, smiling, sore from fits of laughter after lips were warmed on a dare.

Eventually, they made it to the top of a blinding white hill, and raced down towards the rather sophisticated lair of the monsters, or so Shad had called them out of ignorance. Apart from their enormous stature and frighteningly large canines that resembled tusks more than teeth, it had been easy to forget that Yeto and Yeta were not in fact, human. They were just as intelligent and welcoming in their hospitality as any citizen of castle town _…_ perhaps even more so. And they did not deserve to have their way of life disrupted by hunters or over-zealous travellers. Within hours of meeting them, Shad put his notebook down.

The mysteries of the world had consumed the better part of his life. But for now he was happy to hold them in memory, attending to the curiosities of others instead.

"Oh, no. Come on. Wake up!"

Ilia shook her head at the scholar's negligence, her ash-blonde hair now yearning to reach her shoulders. Bathing in the Ordon Springs had removed nearly all of her scars from the war but for the one against her neck, of which she was defiant, unashamed of its presence. She had decided on a sundress for the day, hand-sewn from leftover silks. As luck would have it, there was an ever-abundant supply of materials to work with in the city.

"This is a very important day _…_ or have you forgotten?" she chastised.

"Mhm _…_ " Shad yawned. He stirred for a couple of seconds before settling back to sleep. The time for niceties was over and Ilia lifted his arms out from beneath him. With a shout and a jolt, he nearly spilled the cup of coffee that sat inches away from his head, eyes creased from sleeplessness.

"G-Goddesses!" he snapped. "Ilia? _…_ My dear. Is it about that time?"

"Honestly!" Ilia sighed. "You manage to make it on time to class everyday but when it comes to your own life and happiness, here you are, glued to the desk!"

He rubbed his eyes under his glasses, which were still as deep as the evening sky, though his hair had only grown flatter. He swept it to the side through his fingers before buttoning the top of his blouse, hoping to maintain some semblance of respectability before he could hop into the shower. There was a glimpse of scarring upon his shoulder as he adjusted his shirt. He then threw his dark waistcoat over the chair and inhaled his coffee, gladly.

"A-Apologies!" Shad stammered, hissing as he scalded his tongue. "I suppose I had a lot to get through last night and before I knew it _…_ ahaha."

"It's alright," Ilia assured. "I thought something like this might happen, so I'm here early. Breakfast is on the counter once you get yourself cleaned up. Don't keep them waiting."

"Oh good heavens, what did we do to deserve you?"

Shad climbed into the bathroom with haste, taking care not to trip over his clothes as he so often did in front of Link. After being thoroughly awoken by the rushing waters, he stepped out. Stubble free, suited up and glasses polished. Ilia straightened his tie and gave him one final look, brushing a lock of russet hair behind his ear. She stifled a giggle as it sprang back out of place.

" _…_ It's all this damned coursework," he sighed as they finally set out the door. They walked out into a cobbled courtyard, surrounded by a hub of renovated buildings in a cordoned off section of town. Coloured bookshelves could be seen beyond the windows. Signs and doused lanterns swung lightly in the morning breeze. Both were mildly startled when an owl flew overhead. "I'd hoped to get as much of it done as possible, so that we might enjoy the next week or so in relative peace."

Ilia brushed against his arm, playfully. "College life not up to your standards anymore?"

"Please don't get me wrong. I cherish every moment that I'm here. But I also yearn for the day when my work and living space no longer collide. I don't suppose that was ever the case _beforehand…_ but still, it would be nice."

"You're thinking of him, aren't you?"

Shad could only smile back at her.

* * *

Link and Ashei sat on a blanket stretched over the ground. He'd recognised the stitching right away, confident it could originate from nowhere else but his hometown. Surrounding them were a variety of treats and cups of tea, still warm from the sun. It seemed entirely out of place for Ashei to do _anything_ like this, though she had insisted that he wait here unless he wanted to lose his legs. Finally, she settled down next to him with a book, refusing to look at him or give any further detail.

"Never thought you had this in you," he smiled, knowing exactly the sort of response this would evoke. "Is that romance you're reading?"

"It's a rare collection of folktales from Zelda. And I could always throw you into the fountain, if you'd prefer."

"I'd like to see you try."

 _"Psh."  
_  
Upon hearing the footsteps in the distance, Ashei lowered her book and they looked up in unison. It seemed that Ilia had commandeered Epona from the stables and was leading her through the grounds. All the while, Shad was up in the saddle, his eyes widening as he caught sight of the others on the ground. He'd thought that it might be his turn to surprise Link. Yet, here he was now, the last one to know.

He swung his leg around and climbed off Epona, brushing the horsehair from his jacket as Link stumbled to his feet. Both paused abruptly, frozen in time, before they began to move forward. Their steps felt faint as they rushed in, fighting to close the gap between them.

" _…_ Shad-" Link breathed.

And then, the scholar crashed into his arms.

"Welcome home." Shad squeezed onto his chest, hands meeting at the back as he breathed in that familiar scent of the forest. "It's so good to have you back, my love." Their lips met for the first time in weeks, tender though restrained. When they broke away, all they could do was stare at each other.

Ilia caught the smile on Ashei's face, who blushed and hid her reaction just as quickly, but she squeaked as Link wrestled her into a hug with an arm. Foolishly, he tried to lift Shad in unison and the three of them toppled into the grass. "Watch out!" she admonished, picking herself off the ground. "You're as reckless as ever, Link!"

"I-I'm sorry - but I really wasn't expecting this! You're all here for me!"

"We only did it so you'd feel bad for leaving," Ashei smirked, reaching down to pull Shad and then Link off the ground. "Hope it worked 'cause this one's the worst when he's down. Even more terrible when he gets the _other_ way _…_ and all he wants to tell me about are those _rough hands-"_

"Ah, I believe my usual insults were somewhat blunted in your absence!" Shad laughed suddenly, squeezing onto Link's shoulder as he levelled a glare her way. "But not to worry, Ash. I can promise a return to our _usual_ game after a few at the tavern, yes?"

She flashed a dangerous grin his way. "Good. You're paying."

And then she and Ilia looked to each other in accord. She brushed the remaining grass off the younger girl's shoulder before they turned to leave, allowing Epona to roam free upon the grounds. "W-Wait, where are you both going?" Shad frowned. Link mirrored his expression.

Ashei scrunched up her face. "Oh, we're not staying."

"You need time to catch up, so we'll see you both later!" Ilia smiled. "Enjoy the tea. And remember to thank Telma for the pastries later!"

Link watched as they departed from the clearing and stole into the gardens, stifling their amusement over the execution of their plan. Ilia threw a final wink to him over her shoulder and he returned the gesture, holding her back in secret. " _…_ Guess it's just you and me, then," he laughed to the scholar. "For the record, I had absolutely no idea this was happening. They got us good."

"Goddesses, those girls _…_ " Shad smirked, shaking his head. He took a seat with his partner upon the blanket and then nursed a cup in his hands. "Now, perhaps we could start with you telling me more of your journey in person? I've spent the better part of the month avoiding an avalanche in my office and would welcome the added excitement."

"An avalanche?" Link cringed. "You go first _…_ "

Deeper into the grounds, the flowerbeds were filled with autumnal flowers of orange and purple, vibrant against the chill in the air. Ilia looked upon them with a certain fondness before they finally stopped, some distance away from where they'd left Link and Shad.

Ashei leaned against the wall, assessing the state of their fortifications despite her reprieve from work. She was impressed with how quickly the damages from the Bulblin hoard battle were fixed, along with the fact that they'd gotten away with blasting the place to pieces _…_ no doubt thanks to Auru pulling some strings.

"You'll be going back tomorrow, yeah?" she asked. "Now that the festival's been confirmed. Plenty of work on my end for that, too."

Ilia nodded. " _…_ It's getting harder for everyone to be together like this, isn't it? Life keeps pulling us down different roads."

The warrior sighed. "Ugh, yeah. Things at the castle are crazy and some days there's no escape. Shad was actually talking about it when Link was on that last assignment. He sort of misses how things used to be. We'd take turns travelling and there'd always be someone back at headquarters."

"The war was awful. But our environment was better in a way. At the moment what I'd really like is my own space between towns," she frowned, clearing some of the leaves out of the garden.

"Maybe you should move in?"

"Move in?" Ilia turned around, her face lit with excitement.

"Oh. I can't just bring people in." Ashei blushed. "Plus, you really don't wanna live in the castle. It's so bright I want to stab out my eyes. Doesn't feel like home." She shook her head, smirking before she continued. "I meant with those two when they finally get a bigger place. Why not? You could make it work."

"How funny! Shad was just talking about that, earlier. Says that living at work is getting a bit much. He must also know how you're coping, right?"

"Maybe," she shrugged. As loath as she was to complain about her station, Zelda had shared in her burdens from a place of understanding. In the early days, she caught the Princess sneaking out in the night concealed within a dark cloak. As Knight-Captain, she felt compelled to stop her. But as Ashei, who belonged only to herself, she chose to let her go.

Ilia wore a knowing look. "Come on. We all know the real reason you stayed."

"I didn't stay _for_ anyone. It was the right thing to do," Ashei snorted.

"And it just so conveniently worked out that you're here with us, now," the younger girl winked. "Don't be embarrassed. I'm glad that you did. And so are Shad and Link. You should be able to rely on us, Ashei _…_ we're here to help."

She smiled back at Ilia's words, finding herself unable to argue.

* * *

Happy hour struck at Telma's Bar, where the warm air embraced them off the streets. The end of the conflict had seen the place nearly overrun with patrons - or more accurately, fans _-_ desperate to rub shoulders with the Hero of Light and those who worked alongside him. However, as great as the business was for the proprietress, who'd had to hire some extra hands from the college, she was glad to see the chaos settle after a few years. Link had apologised to her profusely for the disruption.

"Here we are!" Telma welcomed as she placed a tray onto a table. Her eyes were as kind as ever, creasing with affection for the young group, though nowadays she wore her hair down. Her red dreadlocks swung around her shoulders as she walked. "Oh, and good to see you back, honey."

"My deepest thanks, Telma."

"It's good to be back," Link nodded. He took a pint of cider in his hands, sipping it quietly as the others reached for wine, spirits and a hot tea. "Oh! And um, thanks for the food today."

"Anytime," she grinned. "You should have seen Shad honey the other night. Emotional mess until Ashei got him home. And the complete opposite of this lovely lady when she went to surprise you both."

"Oh, stop it," Ilia blushed.

"Somebody had to do it. It was getting embarrassing," Ashei sighed, rolling her eyes as Link rubbed her shoulder in thanks.

Shad frowned, hiding most of his face in his hands. He could vaguely recall being carried inside and dumped onto the lounge. The threat of cold water loomed over his head, warning him from waking the neighbours with his pining. Before he could continue arguing, she tore into the linen cupboard and buried him under a stack of blankets. He brought the wine to his lips. "Honestly, I could not have been _that_ bad _…_ I was just a touch lonely. That's all."

"Well, hopefully you'll be home for a while now, honey," Telma concluded. She patted Link on the back before fetching the tray and returning to the bar, stopping only to scratch Louise behind the ears.

"So, how's everyone else been?"

"Alright, I suppose _…_ " Ilia began. "I'll be travelling home soon. Feels like I was just there but I've got to sort out our side of the upcoming festival. It means I won't get to see you all for a while." She thought back to Ordon Village, as magnificent as it was this time of the year. The surrounding mountains were crisp, cold, blanketed by pine trees that cleared away into pumpkin fields.

It was strange to think that Malo was only streets away in the city, leaving Talo behind to seek Rusl's tutelage as a warrior. Beth was growing fast as she helped Uli with her daughter. Just as Ilia had done with her, many years ago. And Colin had since buried himself in Link's book collection, his ambition calling him to the world outside. He was always halfway through a letter for Luda, having kept in touch with her through the mail.

Link frowned, drumming his fingers against his glass. "Damn, I was _…_ really hoping we'd get more time together. It's been a long time since I was back in town."

"I know." Ilia smiled. "Sorry, Link."

"Good on you for sticking things out," Ashei said, keeping at eye on the hero and scholar over the table. "Can't be easy travelling all the time, rushing in and out of the tavern between jobs. That was _us_ a couple of years back."

"Oh, but the castle must be a step up from that, yes?" Shad asked, his eyes sparking with enthusiasm.

"Honestly, it's not that romantic. I live where I work, same as you. Triple the political drama at my doorstep. Zelda makes it easier where she can."

"The s-same as _…_? Do you hear this?" he laughed, gesturing to the warrior with incredulity. "You're on a first-name basis with the Princess Zelda. You have the nicest living quarters I have _ever_ seen. And you have an army at your back! What does it take you meet your standards, Ash?"

"Hah! What about you, Mr Popular Professor?" Ashei smirked right back.

Shad sank back into his chair, defeated. "You've seen the state of my desk. Ridiculous! And you've no idea how often my lectures end up hijacked with questions of Link, whom I have been missing terribly. Erm _…_ no offence, old boy. I am beginning to suspect that some of them do not share my passion for history!"

"None taken. I'm _…_ sorry this one took so long." Link leaned in and kissed Shad on the temple, squeezing his leg in solidarity. "It, uh _…_ kinda sounds like everyone's been having a rough time. But if I'm hearing things right, then _…_ we're also looking for some extra support?"

He looked to Ilia, whose eyes connected with his over the table. They were the same resplendent green he'd kept in his memories, like sunlight filtered through the leaves.

"What if we could offer you a place to come back to when you're tired? No work stuff, no crashing at Telma's _…_ just us? Like things used to be."

Ashei smiled, studying her expression with subdued quiet.

"And, um _…_ Ashei." He looked to the warrior next. Her eyes caught red under the light, steadfast and hungry for purpose. "Thanks for looking after Shad while I was gone. I know you've got enough to deal with and I'm sorry I couldn't be here. If there's any way we could make things easier, we're here for you."

"L-Link, do you mean _…_?"

"Why not? I was gonna leave it as a surprise but we've been talking about it all day."

"Talking about what?" Ilia prompted.

Shad blushed as he cleared his throat. Ambition was new to him but at its heart he found it to be liberating, inspiring. Not a cloud felt out of reach. "W-Well, you see _…_ we perused the row of properties I used to live in just down the road from here. The landlady has been having some awful trouble with tenants and it seems now, they are up for sale."

"You don't mean _…_ " Ashei frowned. She thought back to the cozy kitchen with books crammed in all manner of unconventional places. The lights dwindled as stray cats perched in the windows.

"The very same. We _did_ mention how funny it might be if either of you were to take up residence alongside us. Almost like a second task force! Ah, can you imagine?" he chuckled, nervously. The warrior nearly choked on her drink, unsure of whether she ought to be amused or impressed by their foolhardiness.

"Um, assuming she'd accept our offer," Link corrected.

"Old boy, I am expecting to pay double the market price for that debacle."

"Wait, wait. Hold up. You're serious about purchasing that block?" Ashei repeated, her gaze flickering between the two as though they'd gone mad.

Link shrugged, finishing his drink in a single throw. "I've got more money than I know what to do with. And Shad's been saving to get us out of the college. Might seem crazy at first but it'd be a good move, I think. Especially if we fix the place up ourselves."

"Then let me help you!" Ilia smiled back at them, her head rushing with excitement. She could suddenly recall her first day in the city. A bowl of soup and an awkward smile had greeted her in the heart of this bustling, colourful mess. Though the trees were sparse, markets filled every corner and the songs of the bards greeted her every sundown. Most importantly, Link was here now. And home was never quite the same without him. "If there's space for me to stay, then I want in, too."

"Of course there's space!" Link beamed, reaching over the table to pull Ilia into a hug. He knocked his chair back and drew gazes from the smattering of other customers, along with Telma who threw a wink at them from across the room.

"Bo's not gonna be too mad, is he?" he grinned.

"If you're there? Not a chance."

Shad and Ashei glanced at each other. She was wry as ever in the face of intimacy, though she did not look away. He took a moment to collect his thoughts.

"O-Our offer stands for you too," Shad stammered. "I cannot pretend that your life is perfect, Ashei. You've made great sacrifices to stay here. And if you ever wished for a space outside of the castle, we would welcome you with open arms. I want to see you happy."

She thought back to the old days. Days spent arguing behind the curtain, punching knives into their meeting desk. Nights spent flinching away from the wall and sharing drink on the roof. All peripheral, all background noise, to the crisis burning at their hands. She had torn through it all. Her own army at her back.

" _…_ You had me at task-force," Ashei smiled. "Why not make it official? We have our own jobs but we could also be working together. Gathering information for Link and moving within the fringes. Hyrule's still got a long way to go and Zelda can't do it alone. People in the city have been resistant to change."

"She's right," Ilia nodded. "And regions other than Ordon still need rebuilding. We're one of the lucky ones."

"Oh, and there's still tonnes of monster activity in the wild _…_ " Link added, falling back into his seat after he'd rescued it from the floor. "Ganondorf's death turned them off the roads and into the other territories. If we can't defend those, Hyrule has nowhere to go for help in the future."

Suddenly, it was Shad's turn to choke on the spot. "I-I'm afraid I was being fanciful about that part! Oh _…_ but I _do_ like the thought."

"So, what do you say?" Three sets of eyes settled upon him at once and he was caught at their mercy.

"It's a good idea," Link affirmed, reaching for Shad's hand. The scholar's fingers entwined within his own, as soft as he had dreamed of all those nights on the road. "And we can look out for each other at home. Just like we all used to."

Ilia reached for Shad's other hand and he squeezed her back, unable to resist her smile. " _…_ Just like _you_ did for Link, after the final battle."

"Yes. Alright! Consider me sold!" he laughed, exasperated. If he imagined himself to be ambitious before, then this agreement had blown that image right into space. "Goddesses, the three of you are completely mad. I suppose we will have to think of a new name."

Ashei emptied her pockets onto the table, which thudded loudly under weight of the purse. "Let's reinforce those walls, first." She smirked. "I'm not losing out on sleep cause of you idiots, yeah?" **  
**

* * *

Link held his breath on the steps, unsure of what to expect before he was greeted by peeling paint and dusty ceiling beams. A ginger cat from the garden rubbed against his leg. He lifted it up into his arms, murmuring to it in secret before he crossed the threshold. Shad was in his other hand, mirroring his smile as he followed behind. After sweeping around the fireplace they spent the afternoon cuddling upon the floor, imagining the comfort it might bring to them in the winter.

The scholar, shocked by the acceptance of their compensative offer, had immediately taken leave from work and rolled up his sleeves. Though he'd initially worked his way into the ground and fallen asleep at the bottom of the stairs, his heart for the project was never shaken. He ensured every corner of the rooms had sufficient lighting, insisting that it were for the purposes of reading. Admittedly, he thought it silly to replicate the feel of Telma's Bar when it was only down the road.

Ilia joined them some time later. She hopped across the stones in the garden, painting a picture in her mind before the weeds were ripped and the vines were trimmed. Not long after that, the soil was restored. Winter crops were set into the back of the yard, surrounded by sleeping flowers for the coming spring. She knew them to be in safe hands for as long as Link was home. When their cat showed an immediate preference to her company, he found himself unable to complain with Epona waiting for him in the stables.

Ashei appeared in the evenings after her shift. She'd hoisted Link onto her shoulders as he painted the ceiling and boosted him onto the roof to find the source of the leak whenever it rained. Her room was red, dark and subdued, the exact opposite of her working quarters. Her snow armour terrorised anybody who dared to look in through the windows. And the castle stood only a short distance away, beckoning to her from the horizon.

Surfaces were sanded down and reinforced into something stronger than what they were. Polished into brilliance. Weapon racks took preference over coat hooks. Bookcases lined the walls of the second floor, becoming a library in its own right. When the rest was taken care of, plants filled every corner of the kitchen, adding splashes of green for Link to admire as he cooked dinner. The finishing touches were a series of emblems etched into the doors - an owl, a deer, a wolf and a bear.

Their home was their fortress.

And no calamity could strike it from the earth.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 _They stood upon a platform where the two towers met, united by a single bridge between worlds. At their backs were their thrones - once occupied by a crazed usurper and a feral beast, disguised as a man. The sky around them burned bright orange, falling away into soft pink. Clouds of the deepest purple rolled over the faraway hills. **  
**  
"How's my little wolf doing? Did he return from that expedition yet?"_

 _Zelda nodded, a true smile spreading to her lips. "Yes. And with some rather surprising discoveries, I might add. Hyrule will be more knowledgeable than ever before. In fact, it is my very wish that we are… so we may never harm other worlds like yours again."_

 _Midna looked upon the Princess of Light and sighed, blinded by the warmth in her features. Her eyes were rippling blue, like raindrops falling into the ocean._

 _"As for how he's faring… I am pleased to say that he plans on settling down for now. With your favourite companion, the scholar, is that right?"_

 _The Twilight Princess made a face, her smouldering red eyes narrowed in good humour. "About time, if you ask me. That was painful to watch. I'm surprised they made it as far as they did without my help. Well… I helped just a little. And how are the others?"_

 _"Very well," Zelda relayed. "I could not have hired a more argumentative Knight-Captain. It is rather amusing, though it flusters her every time I broach the topic. I believe our better decisions are reached over a cup of tea. As for the new ambassador, I still see her every now and again. Trade with Ordon is stronger than ever before. We might be looking into opening some new businesses."_

 _"What about you? Not going through with any of those proposals, are you?"_

 _Zelda shook her head, fighting the urge to laugh. Midna always asked herself whether it counted when they were dreaming. "You're no fun," she smirked. "You could throw a bunch of parties, acquire some new territories and have a couple of castles built in your name. It'd be an easy ride… until they all met each other. Then you could watch them fight it out?"_

 _"You know that does not appeal to me in the slightest," Zelda smiled. "Unless you were willing to join the fray? I could always cover you."_

 _"Just like you always take everything seriously!" Midna sighed. And then she flashed a devious grin her way. "Come on, Zel. I was only trying to lighten the mood."_

 _"I know."_

 _A brief silence fell as they sat upon the ledge and gazed upon their Kingdoms, in their entirety. Death Mountain rumbled in the background. Clouds of frost rolled away from Snowpeak in the distance. Even further away were the distant cities of Twilight, which arched up into the skyline. Zelda offered her arm, as she usually did, and Midna accepted it gladly._

 _"… How long do we have til nightfall? Feels like it's gone too quickly today," the Twilight Princess frowned, taking the moment to look over her love once more._

 _"It won't be long now."_

 _"So… let's just enjoy the time we have left. Until tomorrow, right?"_

 _Zelda rested her head against Midna's shoulder, relieved that she could finally do so for how heavy it was. "Until then, my treasure."_

* * *

 **AN:**... AND WE'RE DONE.

I understand that this ending leaves things rather open, so allow me to expand on it in the form of head-canons. I hoped to convey a "found family" between our characters. It might not last forever (Ilia has ambitions for her hometown and Ashei wants to travel someday) but for now, they have a shared space and aims to conquer the rest of the foreseeable future together! :)

 **Ending Notes  
**  
\- Link and Shad are in a loving, committed relationship and continue to support each other in their endeavours. Of his own volition, our hero takes on a variety of assignments from Zelda, who still has her connection to Midna in her dreams. Link will take Shad with him on the safer journeys (despite the fact that he's been picking up tips on how to fight) and whenever this happens, he gets leave from the college to uncover more of Hyrule's mysteries.

\- Shad works as an educator and has become a renowned historian with Zelda's patronage. He's at home the most and surprises Link whenever he comes home with things like fresh coffee, new books, pressed flowers and healing items... to repay him for those tears. ;) Shad may or may not be writing a book about their exploits... with more than a few omitted details. Link tends to be very affectionate with him at home, while Ilia fusses over his health and Ashei gives her usual tough love.

\- Ilia still finds herself between towns due to her work but sharing a home with the others is a source of comfort. Whenever she actually _is_ home, she lifts the mood entirely. Her and Shad are more domestic than Ashei and Link. They're excellent at mending clothes and cooking meals but everybody shares their skills with each other.

\- Ilia and Ashei have struck up their own friendship outside of the boys. They love to go on horse rides and they'll take each other shopping even though they buy _wildly_ different things. Ashei teaches Ilia how to use a bow to defend herself on the roads. And Ilia has exclusive rights over Ashei's makeup and hair on special events. She won't let anyone else do it. If you were wondering, Ilia has actually had a low-key crush on Ashei ever since she saved her in the castle! Only Link knows about it, though sometimes Shad is close to figuring it out. ;)

\- Ashei and Shad are still weirdly close. And they still fight. It sounds exhausting but most of the time they just enjoy pressing each other's buttons. They care, too. Shad has had more than a couple of arguments with the nobility on her behalf and Ashei enjoys the odd tavern fight if anyone dares to step on him. They are also _fiercely_ protective of Link and Ilia. Sometimes after a few drinks, the subject of their attraction to each other will come up... but they'll laugh it off and start roasting whoever started it instead. Only Link can get away with talking about it unscathed. Ilia is too considerate to even try it.

Please feel free to add your own! I'd really like to hear how other people envision them relating to each other.

I also listened to a LOT of AURORA for this project ('Animal' really kicked me off), so please check her out. Other heavily inspired artists included Hozier, Banks, Imagine Dragons, Lauv.

Thank you for your time!


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